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Tom   May  berry. 


A 

Cowboy  Cavalier 

"Wedding  is  destiny — 
and  hanging  likewise" 

By 
Harriet    C.    Morse 

Illustrations  by 
Samuel    F.  B.  Morse,  Yale  *oy 

and 

John    Goss 


2f 

tut  un 


The  C.  M.  Clark  Publishing  Company 

boston,  Massachusetts 

1908 


Copyright,    1908. 

By 

THE  C.  M.  CLARK  PUBLISHING  CO. 

Boston,   Massachusetts, 

U.  S.  A. 


All  Rights  Reserved. 

Entered  at  Stationers  Hall, 
London. 


M  88S 


TO 

THOMAS  J.  KENNY 

THIS   BOOK 
IS  RESPECTFULLY    DEDICATED 


M8S0353 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


Tom  Mayberry     (Frontispiece) 

Page 

*'  Damn  you,  I  do  know  it,  and  that's  enough' 

.         64 

"Say,"  said  Uncle  Dan,  "pretty  discriminatin 

» 

horse  thieves"                .           .          .           . 

88 

"  Marion  moved  nearer  to  Tom" 

.       115 

Bess 

.       174 

"  He  attempted  to  seize  the  girl  in  his  arms"     . 

.       238 

"  Will  you  not  drink  a  cup  with  me  ?"     . 

.       259 

WildBiU 

.       286 

A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

It  was  a  perfect  Fall  day  filled  with  brilliant 
Bunshine  such  as  one  sees  only  in  Texas;  with  a 
dry  invigorating  air  that  did  not  admit  of  fatigue. 
The  scene  w^as  not  on  the  prairie  land,  but  among 
the  low  hills  near  the  Colorado  river,  of  which 
it  is  said  that  if  a  man  drinks  but  a  single  drop 
he  is  compelled  sooner  or  later,  no  matter  how  far 
he  wanders,  to  return  to  Texas,  there  to  end  his 
days. 

The  low^  hills  covered  with  gorgeous  green,  the 
broad  river  and  the  fields  bright  with  the  blos- 
soms of  the  cacti,  gave  a  fitting  background  to 
the  figures  of  two  athletic  young  fellows  whose 
horses  had  just  forded  the  stream.  They  came 
lazily  jogging  along,  the  beauty  of  the  scene  ap- 
pealing to  them  without  any  actual  recognition 
of  the  fact.  They  rode,  one  foot  out  of  the  stir- 
rup, their  blue  shirts  open,  neckerchiefs  untied, 

1 


2  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

and  broad  hats  pushed  back  from  their  bronzed 
faces. 

"  Say,  Jay,"  said  the  younger  of  the  two,  "  have 
you  seen  the  new  girl  at  Luce's?  I  saw  her  yes- 
terday, and  how  anyone  so  fine  could  be  kin  to 
that  crowd  passes  me.  The  Honorable  Daniel 
Luce  says  she  has  money  and  belongs  to  the  oldest 
kind  of  a  family.'^ 

"  Yes,  May,"  answered  James  Carruth.  "  I 
saw  her  yesterday  on  horseback.  She  can't  ride 
a  little  bit,  acts  like  she  thought  the  horse  would 
get  away  with  her.  She's  a  right  good  looker,  but 
I  haven't  seen  her  on  the  ground  yet." 

"  Do  you  know.  Jay,"  continued  Walter  May- 
berry  in  a  gentle  voice,  "  I  have  a  feeling  that 
I'm  going  to  fall  in  love  with  that  girl.  Jim 
Crow  shot  himself  last  year  on  account  of  that 
red-headed  girl  of  Wilson's.  Do  you  think  you 
could  ever  get  that  struck  on  a  woman?  " 

As  his  thoughtful  eyes  met  the  bold  ones  of 
his  companion  a  deep  flush  crept  over  his  face. 

"  Lord  bless  you,  no,  child !  "  he  answered. 
"  Not  so  long  as  there  are  other  women  in  the 
world.  But  when  they  are  all  gone  it's  time  to 
die,  sure  enough." 

"  A  fellow  that's  rich  and  handsome  like  you 
are  can  always  get  a  girl  to  love  him,"  sighed 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  3 

the  boy,  "  but  a  poor  ugly  cuss  like  me  don't 
stand  any  kind  of  a  show." 

"  'Taint  that.  Women  aren't  won  by  looks,  but 
you're  too  all-fired  bashful.  If  the  girls  only 
knew  you  as  I  do  they  would  all  be  running  after 
you;"  and  his  black  eyes  softened  as  he  looked 
into  the  dreamy  blue  ones  of  his  youthful  com- 
panion. 

"  The  fact  is.  May,"  he  continued,  "  a  girl  has 
got  to  be  frightened  into  loving  you.  Treat  a 
woman  as  you  would  a  horse.  Don't  let  her  see 
she  has  the  upper  hand  for  a  moment.  I  know 
^em.  Now  there's  that  girl  at  Luce's. — Gosh! 
Walt,  there  she  is  now,  sitting  over  yonder  on  the 
steps  of  the  Viles  place.  I'll  bet  she  walked  over 
from  the  ranch.  I've  heard  she  was  the  beatenest 
woman  for  frogging  it,  ever  seen  here;  but  she 
won't  hoof  it  back.  I'll  take  her  behind  me  on 
my  horse." 

"  Do  you  know  her?  "  timidly  asked  Walter. 

"  No !  but  you  just  watch  me  and  see  how  it  is 
done."  Infused  with  sudden  energy  he  put  spurs 
to  his  horse  and  dashed  across  the  open  field, 
scattering  the  frightened  cows,  while  Walter 
jogged  on,  watching  him  with  dreamy  interest. 

"  I  believe  I  could  really  love  that  girl,"  he 
mused,  "  and  I  would  be  awful  good  to  her ;  but 


4  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

there  is  no  show  for  any  one  else  when  Jay  is  in 
the  running." 

As  he  ended  his  soliloquy  he  saw  his  friend  ap- 
proach the  veranda  of  the  house  on  the  steps  of 
which  sat  the  young  woman  in  question,  saw  her 
raise  her  eyes  from  the  book  she  was  reading, 
then  saw  Jay  merely  sweep  off  his  hat  in  salute 
and  pass  on.  Alone  as  he  was  he  broke  into  an 
exultant  shout,  which  died  away  as  his  friend 
approached. 

"  Where's  Miss  Luce? "  he  inquired.  "  I 
thought  she  was  a  pretty  big  girl,  but  she  is  right 
well  hidden  behind  you." 

Jay  turned  red.  "  She  looked  at  me  so  queer, 
I  dassen't  speak  to  her ;  but  you  wait,  she'll  ride 
behind  me  yet.    Wait  and  see." 

Marian  Luce,  the  object  of  this  conversation, 
had  been  musing  for  some  time  on  the  veranda  of 
the  deserted  ranch  house,  which  had  once  be- 
longed to  the  prosperous  Viles  family.  It  was 
the  one  story,  rambling,  white  adobe  style  of  cot- 
tage usual  on  the  Texas  ranches,  surrounded  by 
an  inclosure  which  fenced  it  of  from  the  vast 
stretch  of  pasture-land  on  all  sides.  This  in- 
closure contained  a  picturesque  wind-mill,  and 
numberless  rosebushes  still  in  full  bloom,  the 
fragrance  of  which  filled  the  air.  Marian  her- 
self was  graceful  and  attractive,  if  not  beautiful. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  5 

Her  tall,  finely  molded  figure  and  broad  shoulders 
gave  her  an  air  of  strength  and  power.  As  Jay 
rode  up,  she  sat  with  her  book  in  her  lap,  an  ab- 
stracted look  on  her  face. 

"  Doesn't  seem  to  see  me  at  all,''  he  mentally 
cogitated.  "  Never  mind ;  she  must  want  some 
beau  down  here  in  Texas,  and  I'm  as  good  as  any 
of  them,"  and  sweeping  off  his  large  hat  he  said, 
"  Good-evening,"  in  his  softest  drawl.  She  raised 
her  head  and  returned  his  salutation  with  a  some- 
what surprised  expression.  Her  glance,  though 
kindly,  carried  no  invitation  to  proceed.  Jay, 
who  had  fancied  he  knew  how  to  ingratiate  him- 
self with  any  woman,  became  suddenly  abashed 
in  the  presence  of  what  was  to  him  an  unknown 
quantity,  passed  on,  to  the  great  delight  of  his 
friend  Walter. 

Marian  remained  seated,  viewing  the  prairie 
before  her  with  a  half  smile  on  her  face.  It 
seemed  like  a  beautiful  picture.  She  had  often 
dreamed  of  a  land  like  this,  so  peaceful  and  idyl- 
lic. "  I  wonder,"  she  mused,  "  if  this  has  ever 
been  the  scene  of  a  desperate  deed  such  as  often 
took  place  in  the  early  frontier  life.  I  could  al- 
most wish  it  were  not  quite  so  tame  now."  Then 
she  remembered  what  the  good  old  dame  on  the 
train  had  said  to  her : 

"Those  who  say  there  is  no  more  a  wild  and 


6  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

woolly  West  must  have  been  born  and  raised  west 
of  Denver,  and  never  been  East  to  note  the  con- 
trast." 

A  scrap  of  conversation  overheard  on  the  cars 
came  back  to  her.  Two  men  had  been  earnestly 
talking  together.  The  elder  was  a  man  who  had 
evidently  weathered  many  a  rough  season  and 
lived  through  varied  experiences.  The  younger 
had  an  innocent-looking  round  face,  lighted  by 
keen  gray  eyes.  As  the  train  slowed  up  at  Xan- 
tus,  she  overheard  the  younger  one  say  eagerly, 
"  We  shall  get  them  yet.'' 

"  Speak  lower,"  cautioned  the  elder,  and  the 
rest  was  indistinct,  but  as  she  now  remembered 
it  she  had  caught  the  names  "  Mayberry ''  and 
"  Carruth.''  Of  that  she  was  quite  sure.  The 
names  meant  nothing  to  her  then,  but  she  had 
since  become  familiar  with  them.  Could  it  be 
that  either  of  those  young  men,  famous  for  their 
aristocratic  lineage,  their  courtly  bearing,  their 
beauty  and  bravery,  were  implicated  in  any 
crime?  Oh,  no!  That  could  not  be.  She  smiled 
a  little,  half  coquettishly,  as  she  recalled  the 
vision  which  had  just  saluted  her  so  gracefully. 

At  this  juncture  she  was  startled  from  her 
reverie  by  a  murmur  of  voices  in  the  deserted 
house  behind  her.  She  sprang  to  her  feet  and 
listened  with  breathless  expectancy.    The  voices 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  7 

ceased  but  there  was  an  unmistakable  rustle. 
Her  knees  shook  under  her,  as  she  turned  and 
glanced  across  the  sea  of  grass  which  lay  between 
her  and  her  natural  protectors.  Since  she  had 
discouraged  the  well-disposed  cowboy  she  must 
traverse  it  alone.  Once  more  she  glanced  at  the 
house,  and  then  nervously  gathering  up  her  skirt 
for  unimpeded  action  she  rushed  from  the  place 
and  dashed  with  all  possible  speed  across  the 
prairie,  nor  did  she  slacken  her  pace  until  she 
had  left  the  Viles  place  far  behind. 

At  last  she  stopped  to  look  around  and  seeing 
no  one,  she  moved  more  slowly  to  recover  her 
breath,  at  the  same  time  endeavoring  to  reassure 
herself.  "  I  imagined  it  all/'  she  thought. 
"  Lacking  desperate  deeds,  I  revive  them  in 
thought.''  Just  then  in  the  distance  she  espied 
what  was  to  all  appearances  a  couple  of  horse- 
men approaching  from  the  direction  of  her  uncle's 
ranch,  whereupon  her  fears  returned  with  re- 
doubled vigor.  "  Why  did  I  not  obey  Uncle  Dan ! 
Oh,  if  I  were  only  home  in  New  York ! "  were 
some  of  the  thoughts  which  rushed  through  her 
mind. 

In  the  meantime  the  two  equestrians  who  had 
been  approaching  with  great  rapidity,  had  ap- 
peared in  full  view.    One  of  them,  a  Mexican  boy 


8  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

(evidently  a  servant)  was  the  first  to  see  Marian, 
and  to  call  the  companion's  attention  to  her. 

At  this,  the  other,  a  joung  man  who  in  a  slight 
degree  resembled  the  first  apparition  of  the  af- 
ternoon, sprang  to  the  ground  and  swept  off  his 
hat  with  the  same  drawling  "  Good-evening/' 
While  he  gave  the  boy  a  hurried  command  in  his 
own  language,  Marian  studied  him  intently.  Tal- 
ler and  even  more  powerfully  built  than  the  other, 
his  features  as  well  being  more  massive  and 
stern,  he  gave  the  appearance  of  strength,  both 
mental  and  physical, — a  man  w^hom  one  would 
obey  instinctively  and  trust  without  question. 
Two  cowboys  she  had  beheld  that  day,  attractive 
enough  to  satisfy  the  longings  of  the  most  un- 
reasonable seeker  after  romance;  and  two  men 
of  such  widely  different  types.  The  stern  bear- 
ing of  the  one  would  have  been  a  delightful  foil 
for  the  fascinating,  rollicking  air  of  the  other. 

As  his  servant  galloped  off,  the  man  turned 
half  timidly,  and  half  commandingly  to  Marian, 
with  the  remark,  "  Pardon  my  freedom.  Miss, 
but  this  is  no  place  for  a  woman  to  be  alone.  Al- 
low me  to  attend  you  until  you  are  in  sight  of 
your  home.  You  are  from  the  Luce  Ranch,  I 
reckon.'' 

Marian  answered  him  in  the  affirmative,  thank- 
ing him  for  his  kind  offer  which  she  felt  neither 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  9 

the  power  nor  the  inclination  to  refuse.  As  they 
walked  on  together  she  was  conscious  that  he 
would  gladly  enter  into  conversation  with  her, 
but  for  fear  of  giving  offense  was  waiting  for  her 
to  take  the  initiative. 

"  I  am  sure/'  she  thought,  "  that  the  other  man 
would  have  paid  me  several  pretty  compliments 
by  this  time,  and  in  true  southern  style,  and — '^ 
with  a  slightly  discontented  glance  at  her  silent 
companion —  "  I  am  not  sure  I  should  not  prefer 
it  to  this  deferential  silence."  But  for  fear  of 
grieving  the  good  youth  she  suggested  timidly. 

"  When  I  saw  you  coming,  I  scarcely  knew 
whether  to  be  relieved  or  still  more  frightened." 

"  Still  more  frightened?  What  frightened  you 
before? '' 

Marian  was  quite  unconscious  of  the  quick  look 
which  accompanied  this  question,  and  the  eager- 
ness with  which  he  listened  to  her  reply.  At  its 
completion  he  remarked  lightly, 

"  Do  you  feel  perfectly  safe  now?  " 

<^  Why,  of  course." 

Marian  laughed,  and  so  did  her  comrade,  as  he 
blushed  a  deep  red  beneath  his  tan.  This  boyish 
look  made  his  resemblance  to  the  other  cowboy 
more  striking,  and  Marian  admitted  to  herself 
that  he  was  almost  as  attractive.    In  this  genial 


10  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

frame  of  mind,  she  reached  the  outskirts  of  the 
Luce  Ranch  buildings. 

"  I  will  say  good-bje  now/'  she  said,  extending 
her  hand.  "  I  thank  you  most  heartily  for  your 
kindness.'' 

Her  companion  blushed  again  as  he  took  her 
outstretched  hand,  while  he  assured  her  that  to 
escort  her  had  been  a  great  pleasure,  and  that  he 
should  remain  standing  there  until  he  saw  her 
inside  the  house. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  meet  again,"  she  suggested 
archly. 

"  We  are  going  to  meet  again,"  he  said  simply. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  11 


CHAPTER  11. 

The  home  of  the  Luces  was  like  the  Viles  place, 
but  built  on  a  much  larger  scale.  To  one  accus- 
tomed to  buildings  constructed  chiefly  in  the  air, 
it  was  very  delightful  to  see  this  wide  rambling 
house  which  covered  nearly  as  much  ground  space 
as  a  New  York  block.  It  was  surrounded  by 
broad  fields  upon  which  grazed  innumerable 
herds  of  cattle,  and  in  the  distance  could  be  seen 
the  winding  river,  bordered  by  many  trees  and 
the  fragrant  Algerita  bushes.  A  large  pecan 
tree  in  front  of  the  house  gave  a  most  grateful 
shade. 

Fearing  that  she  was  already  late  for  supper, 
Marian  hurried  past  the  tree  whose  protecting 
branches  had  often  tempted  her,  and  held  her 
spellbound  for  hours  at  a  time.  She  did  not 
venture  even  to  breathe  in  the  delicious  odor  of 
the  algeritas  then  in  full  bloom,  but  hurried  past 
them  all  into  the  house. 

The  algerita  berry  is  very  common  in  the  hilly 
regions  of  Texas.    The  bush  on  which  it  grows 


12  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

resembles  in  shape  and  size  the  currant  bush. 
The  berry  is  red  and  supposedly  edible.  The 
blossom  is  white,  and  gives  out  an  odor  some- 
thing like  that  of  the  tube  rose,  but  more  delicate, 
and  less  oppressive.  It  is  however  strong  enough 
to  pervade  the  whole  atmosphere  even  out  of 
doors  with  a  faint  but  very  delicious  perfume. 

"It  is  a  part  of  this  wonderful  country  to 
me.'^  Marian  had  written  to  her  father :  "  It 
seems  to  cast  a  spell  over  me  like  that  of  a  fairy 
wand,  and  to  hold  me  here.  I  am  conscious  of 
it  everywhere ;  when  I  am  sitting  under  my  pecan 
tree  with  a  book  in  my  hand,  and  staring  off 
at  the  hills  in  the  distance,  or  when  I  am  riding 
over  the  prairies,  and,  even  in  my  dreams.  Some- 
times it  may  be  only  in  imagination.  I  believe  I 
am  so  imbued  with  it  that  I  shall  carry  it  home 
with  me  and  still  imagine  it.  It  may  haunt  me  all 
my  life  and  finally  compel  me  to  return.  This 
may  sound  a  trifle  weird,  but  it  is  a  fancy  not  in 
any  way  unpleasant." 

Upon  entering  the  house  Marian  merely  re- 
moved her  hat  in  preparation  for  supper,  and 
went  into  the  long  dining-room  just  as  the  family 
and  the  fourteen  cowboys  were  sitting  down  to 
the  table,  at  the  head  of  which  sat  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Daniel  Luce,  known  to  the  boys  as  "  Boss ''  and 
"  Old  Miss,''  or  to  Marian  as  "  Uncle  Dan  "  and 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  13 

"  Aunt  Phoebe."  At  the  foot  of  the  table  she  sat 
with  her  cousin  Bess,  and  on  either  side  were 
seven  cowboys,  all  dressed  in  the  usual  blue  flan- 
nel shirt,  leather  trousers,  top  boots  and  red 
handkerchief. 

Marian  slid  into  her  place  as  the  last  cowboy 
lounged  into  the  room,  removed  his  broad  felt 
hat,  and  threw  himself  into  his  chair.  Uncle  Dan 
cut  the  blessing  rather  short,  for  he  was  anxious 
to  introduce  his  pretty  niece  to  the  expectant  and 
delighted  youths. 

"  Say,  Boss,''  began  the  latest  comer,  "  it's 
mighty  good  to  be  back  here  again.  I  felt  all 
stived  up  while  I  was  in  St.  Louis.  I  wanted  to 
get  out  and  holler;  but  Lord!  people  gawped  if 
you  even  talked  out  loud."  This  speech  con- 
cluded, he  settled  down  on  the  small  of  his  back, 
and  with  a  sigh  of  content,  began  shoving  pickled 
beef  into  his  mouth  with  the  blade  of  a  rather 
sharp  knife. 

"  Marian,'^  began  Uncle  Dan,  "  I  want  to  make 
you  acquainted  with  the  ten  new  boys  who  have 
just  got  home.  I've  told  'em  not  to  be  dis- 
heartened because  you  saw  the  others  first,  as 
I  reckoned  they  hadn't  had  much  time  to  make 
an  impression  as  yet.  I  feel  that  I've  got  to  get 
you  married  to  a  real  live  Texan ;  you're  too  all- 
fired  good  for  New  York.    Now,  Fritz,  here,  is 


14  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

looking  for  a  wife.''  At  this  the  conscious  Fritz 
looked  down  with  a  sheepish  air,  amid  the  up- 
roars of  his  companions ;  for  Fritz  was  the  most 
diffident  of  them  all. 

"  Next  is  William  Wilder,  commonly  known  as 
^  Wild  Bill ; '  but  you  needn't  be  afraid  of  him — 
he  ain't  half  as  ugly  as  he  looks." 

"  Wild  Bill "  snickered  and  tried  to  look  a 
little  tougher  than  was  his  wont.  Marian  winced 
under  his  bold  glance,  and  turned  to  the  next 
candidate  for  introduction. 

"  Our  baby,  Walter  Mayberry.  He  goes  to 
Sunday-school,  has  a  lovely  mother,  and  a  hand- 
some big  brother.     He's  worth  cultivating." 

Marian  looked  with  a  smile  into  the  deep  blue 
eyes  which  said,  even  plainer  than  the  lips,  "  I 
am  pleased  to  meet  you." 

"  Now  quit  making  eyes  at  Walt,  and  let  me 
present  Hugh,  our  ladies'  man,  whose  name 
ought  to  be  spelt  without  the  final  H."  Hugh's 
face,  beaming  with  kindly  mirth,  looked  posi- 
tively seraphic. 

"  Now  here's  Gustus  Giles,  our  Yale  man, 
called  ^  The  Professor.'  He  can  talk  Greek  and 
Latin,  and  knows  the  distance  to  all  the  planets 
better'n  he  does  to  Galveston.  He  can  make  love 
to  you  in  a  dozen  different  languages,  and  we 
can't  one  of  us  tell  what  he's  saying." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  15 

"  The  Professor  "  gave  a  courtly  bow  with  an 
air  of  superiority,  and  Uncle  Dan  continued : 

"  As  for  the  rest  of  them,  you'll  have  to  find 
out  their  pints  yourself.  You  can  have  any  one 
of  them,  and  I  suppose  you'll  make  your  own 
selection.  If  you  can't  do  that,  we'll  have  a 
roundup  and  let  'em  shoot  each  other  off  till 
there's  only  one  left — but  I  just  want  to  introduce 
you  to  one  more,  and  warn  you  against  Tad 
Perkins,  that  last  one  on  your  side.  We  call 
him  ^  The  Tadpole.'  He's  terribly  wicked;  has 
killed  a  lot  of  men  an'  broken  scores  of  hearts. 
Why,  he  hasn't  a  mite  of  conscience.  He's  a  regu- 
lar hell-a-buster." 

Tad  Perkins,  a  callow  youth  with  the  com- 
plexion of  a  girl,  a  meek  expression  of  counte- 
nance, looked  very  proud,  thinking  that  with 
such  a  reputation  he  would  certainly  have  the 
inside  track. 

"  Say,  Boss,"  spoke  up  one  of  the  boys,  "  did 
you  know  Miss  Marian  walked  clean  down  to 
the  Viles  place  this  afternoon  and  walked  back 
again?  " 

Uncle  Dan  dropped  his  fork  in  consternation. 
"  Walked  four  miles,  with  forty  horses  on  the 
place  eating  their  heads  off!  Why  didn't  some 
of  you  stop  her?  It  was  plumb  crazy  of  her.  If 
it  gets  out,  her  father  will  never  forgive  me. 


16  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Why  did  you  do  such  a  thing?  "  he  groaned,  look- 
ing at  Marian  reproachfully. 

"  Why,  Uncle,  I  love  to  walli,'^  she  said. 

But  he  would  not  be  pacified. 

"  If  not  for  your  sake,  and  not  for  my  sake,  for 
God  Almighty's  sake,  don't  do  it  again,''  he  said. 
"  You  can  have  all  the  horses  you  want ;  I'd  not 
begrudge  you  a  dozen.  What  will  your  father 
say  when  he  hears  it?  " 

"  Why,  father  likes  to  have  me  take  long 
walks,"  she  said,  "  but  I  did  feel  a  little  fright- 
ened for  a  moment  this  afternoon ; "  and  she  re- 
lated her  adventure. 

A  silence  followed.  Uncle  Dan  gave  Gus  a 
quick  look,  which  was  intercepted  by  a  glowering 
one  from  Bill. 

"  You  must  remember  that  you  are  not  in  New 
York,"  said  her  uncle  gently,  "  even  the  boys  here 
on  the  ranch  go  armed." 

"  Oh,  I  had  a  pistol  with  me,"  and  Marian  took 
a  small  pistol  from  her  pocket. 

"  Do  you  call  that  a  pistol?  "  roared  Uncle  Dan 
reaching  for  it,  and  holding  it  up  in  derision. 
"  It  would  make  a  good  watch  charm,  but  if  you 
hit  a  man  with  that  and  he  ever  found  it  out  he'd 
be  right  mad." 

"  Marian,"  broke  in  Aunt  Phoebe  at  that  point, 
"  ain't  your  real  name  Mary  Ann?    It  ought  to 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  IT 

be  if  it  ain't.  It's  a  good,  sensible  old  English 
name.  I  just  pride  myself  that  I  married  into 
one  of  the  old  English  families.  I  have  the  Luce 
genealogy  up-stairs,  but  I  suppose  you  know  it  by 
heart,  as  you're  a  Luce.  I  tell  everybody  round 
here  about  the  Luce  family,  the  scutcheon  and 
the  crest,  an'  the  statute  of  Lord  Luce  in  a  big 
square  in  London.  They  may  think  I  don't  know 
much,  but  I  knew  enough  to  marry  into  a  family 
that  can't  be  beat,  as  far  as  blood  goes, — More'n 
that,  I  know  a  bull  yearling  from  a  two  year  old 
heifer,  and  that's  more'n  you  city  folks  know." 

A  profound  silence  followed  this  harangue  dur- 
ing which  Marian's  eyes  were  glued  to  her  plate. 
"  The  Professor  "  and  Walt  gazed  at  her  with 
open  sympathy,  while  the  rest  of  the  boys  looked 
at  each  other  with  sly  w^inks  and  grins,  and  ad- 
ministered sundry  kicks  under  the  table. 

^'  You  know,"  struck  in  Uncle  Dan,  "  since  I've 
made  money  your  Aunt  Phoebe  wants  to  put  on 
style,  so  I've  let  her  have  Brussels  carpets  and 
stuffed  chairs,  and  I  was  fool  enough  to  let  Bess 
marry  a  good-for-nothing  feller  who  couldn't  do 
a  thing  but  sit  around  and  smoke,  just  because 
she  and  her  ma  thought  he  was  an  aristocrat. 
He  warn't  worth  killin',  as  even  Bess  will  allow 
now.  The  triflinest  no-count  feller  that  ever 
straddled  a  boss!  He  had  his  own  way  for  a 
2 


18  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

couple  of  years.  He  had  the  world  by  the  tail 
and  a  down-hill  pull,  sure  enough.  I  gave  'em  a 
ranch,  but  he  demanded  more  and  more,  'til  he 
wouldn't  be  satisfied  \sithout  the  whole  earth,  an' 
a  little  slice  of  Hell  for  a  hog-pen ;  so  Bess  up  and 
left  him,  and  now  he's  prowling  about,  threaten- 
ing to  kill  her.  Just  let  him  show  up  here,  an' 
we'll  see  who  does  the  killing." 

At  these  remarks  Marian  cast  a  furtive 
glance  over  her  shoulder,  half  expecting  to  see  the 
recreant  husband  lurking  somewhere  in  the 
shadow. 

"Whenever  the  wind  blows  and  the  boughs 
creak  at  night,"  said  Bess,  "  I'm  always  afraid 
its  him  creeping  in  at  the  window." 

Marian's  ready  sympathy  went  out  at  once  to 
her  cousin,  and  she  turned  toward  her,  showing 
her  emotion  in  her  face. 

"  Don't  you  slop  over,  Miss  Marian,  till  you 
hear  the  other  side,'^  drawled  Wild  Bill,  at  which 
Bess  gave  him  an  angry  glance. 

"  Bess  would  marry  again  if  she  found  the 
right  man,"  went  on  Uncle  Dan ;  and  "  I  reckon 
she  would,"  muttered  Wild  Bill  in  an  undertone 
which  fortunately  Bess  did  not  overhear. 

"  How  old  are  you  now,  Marian?  "  demanded 
the  old  gentleman. 

During  the  slight  pause  which  followed  this 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  19 

personal  question,  Marian  noted  the  curious 
glances  cast  in  her  direction,  and  the  mirth  which 
seemed  to  arise  more  from  embarrassment  than 
from  any  visible  cause. 

"  I  am  twenty-four,  Uncle,''  she  said  calmly. 

"We  call  that  pretty  old  for  a  girl  out  here. 
You'd  best  be  picking  out  a  partner  without  los- 
ing any  time.  I'd  recommend  Fritz,''  he  added 
with  a  chuckle. 

"What's  the  matter  with  me.  Boss?"  shouted 
several  voices,  and  amid  a  chorus  of  laughter  and 
would-be-witty  remarks  the  boys,  with  kindly, 
half-bashful  nods  to  Marian  and  Bess,  picked  up 
their  hats  and  lounged  out  of  the  room,  giving 
vent  to  loud  halloas  as  soon  as  they  reached  the 
open  air. 

"  There's  the  boy  for  you,"  said  Uncle  Dan,  as 
Walter  Mayberry  left  the  room  last  of  all. 

"  No  indeed,  Pa,"  put  in  Bess.  "  He  hasn't  a 
cent  to  his  name.  They  came  from  the  F.  F.  V's; 
(First  Families  of  Virginia)  descended  from  a 
poor  Lord  who  came  to  Virginia  in  the  days  of 
Queen  Elizabeth,  and  they've  been  poor  and 
proud  ever  since.  They're  awful  pious,  too. 
Why !  They  won't  play  cards  on  a  week-day,  and 
on  Sunday  they  shut  themselves  up  in  their  house 
and  only  crawl  out  to  go  to  church.    Better  set 


20  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

your  cap  for  Jay  Carruth.  He's  rich,  handsome 
and  lively." 

"  Thank  you/'  laughed  Marian  good-naturedly, 
"  but  it  is  too  important  a  matter  to  settle  in  a 
hurry." 

"Can  you  take  care  of  yourself  for  a  while, 
honey?  "  said  Bess.  "  IVe  got  to  look  after  Dad's 
books.  The  lazy  fellow  won't  do  a  lick  of  work 
when  Maw  and  I  are  about,"  and  she  looked  affec- 
tionately at  her  father,  who  was  beside  her. 

"Well,  what  are  daughters  for,  anyway?"  he 
retorted  playfully,  and  they  went  off  together, 
leaving  Marian  seated  alone  in  the  dining-room. 
She  was  thinking  of  the  various  events  of  the 
day  and  of  the  cowboys  presented  to  her  notice. 
The  two  she  had  met  in  the  afternoon  were  all 
she  had  pictured  them  in  her  dreams,  but  those 
at  her  uncle's  table  seemed  somewhat  common 
with  the  exception  of  Gus,  who  was  evidently  a 
gentleman.  Bill  inspired  her  with  both  repulsion 
and  fear,  but  he  was  a  trusted  employe  of  her 
sagacious  old  uncle,  so  he  must  be  all  right. 

Her  meditations  were  interrupted  by  the  sound 
of  voices  under  the  window.  One  was  the  deep 
growl  of  Wild  Bill,  and  the  other  replied  in  a  soft 
liquid  tone.  They  were  talking  in  Spanish,  a 
language  Marian  understood  but  slightly,  but 
she  heard  Wild  Bill  say, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  21 

"Your  wife  was  looking  for  you  this  after- 
noon." 

She  could  not  understand  the  quickly  uttered 
reply,  but  it  was  followed  by  a  low  "  Hist "  from 
Bill,  and  a  firmer  step  approached,  then,  to  her 
great  relief,  the  genial  Gus  looked  in  at  the  win- 
dow. 


22  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  III. 

It  was  still  light  when  Gus,  to  his  apparent 
surprise,  beheld  Marian  seated  alone  and  lean- 
ing pensively  over  the  table,  with  her  chin  in  her 
two  hands,  gazing  intently  at  the  scene  which 
lay  beyond  the  open  window.  The  sky  was  now 
brilliantly  dyed  with  the  red  and  yellow  of  the 
setting  sun.  Two  men  on  horseback  were  gallop- 
ing over  the  long  stretch  of  high  grass  now  al- 
most peacock  blue  in  the  reflection  of  the  sky. 
A  third  at  such  a  distance  as  to  be  almost  indis- 
tinguishable sat  on  his  horse  waving  his  arms  and 
uttering  a  series  of  demoniac  yells  peculiar  to  the 
cowboy  and  the  North  American  Indian. 

"  Whoo — ah — 00,"  yelled  the  youth,  and  after 
several  repetitions  of  the  sound,  as  if,  by  magic, 
it  were  calling  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep,  cows 
uprose  from  all  directions,  as  though  they  were 
coming  out  of  the  ground.  The  men  slowed  up 
as  the  cows  gathered  round  them,  and  slid  gently 
to  the  ground. 

"  What  in  the  world  are  they  doing?  "  mused 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  23 

Marian,  feeling  as  if  she  were  Alice  in  Wonder- 
land, and  being  prepared  for  almost  any  strange 
sight.  Then  she  glanced  at  the  long  ell  which 
joined  the  main  house  and  consisted  of  a  series  of 
rooms  entered  only  from  the  open  field,  each  the 
stronghold  of  two  of  the  boys.  "  If  he  is  a  horse- 
thief,  I  am  well  protected,''  she  thought.  She 
looked  after  the  men  again  to  find  them  nearly 
out  of  sight. 

"  Let's  have  a  little  jack-rabbit  hunt,"  broke 
in  a  voice,  and  she  saw  the  powerful  Gus  still 
standing  on  the  veranda,  chewing  tobacco  and 
spitting  the  juice  wherever  it  might  chance  to 
land.  "  You  w^on't  need  to  change  your  dress," 
he  added,  coming  nearer  to  the  window,  "  you're 
all  right,  just  as  you  are.  How  do  you  like  it 
down  here?  It's  some  different  from  New  York, 
I  reckon,  but  I  tell  you  a  pretty  girl  is  appre- 
ciated here  more  than  anywhere  else  in  the 
world." 

"  What  is  that  man  doing?  "  said  Marian,  pay- 
ing no  attention  to  his  remark. 

''  Oh,  he's  salting  cattle.  Giving  them  bunches 
of  the  salt  he  brought  in  his  saddle  bags.  We 
have  to  do  that  every  little  while.  Wouldn't  you 
like  to  go  over  yonder?  " 

Marian  readily  assented  and  at  once  stepped 
through  the  low  window,  and  stood  beside  him. 


24  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  What  horse  do  you  want? ''  he  asked. 

"  Uncle  told  me  I  had  best  take  '  old  Bare- 
bones  '  for  mine,"  she  answered.  "  He  says  he's 
a  good  reliable  horse,  and  I'm  not  much  used  to 
riding.  I'm  going  to  train  him  to  come  when  I 
call." 

"  In  the  meantime,"  returned  Gus  drily,  "  we 
will  solicit  his  services  in  the  customary  manner." 
Then  taking  down  a  rope  which  hung  on  a  post 
of  the  veranda,  he  vaulted  the  railing  and  plunged 
after  the  animal,  catching  him  with  the  first 
throw.  The  two  horses  were  saddled  with  light- 
ning rapidity,  both  with  men's  saddles.  Marian 
climbed  laboriously  into  her  own,  stubbornly  re- 
fusing the  help  of  her  companion.  "  I  want  to 
learn  to  do  these  things  as  the  rest  of  you  do," 
she  explained. 

Calling  the  few  hounds  in  sight  they  started 
off  in  the  direction  of  the  yelling  and  apparently 
distracted  cowboys.  As  they  rode  swiftly  along, 
the  dogs  roused  up  one  or  two  long-eared  jack- 
rabbits.  Marian  was  delighted  with  the  sight  of 
the  slender  hounds,  and  the  rabbits  bobbing  up 
and  down,  now  appearing,  now  disappearing  in 
the  tall  grass. 

"  They  look  like  a  school  of  fish  jumping  over 
each  other  in  the  water,"  she  said. 

"  They  do,  sure  enough." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  25 

"  But  the  hounds  never  catch  the  jack-rabbits, 
do  they?'^  she  continued. 

*^  Very  seldom.  We  let  the  rabbits  alone. 
They  do  no  harm  alive,  and  are  no  good  dead; 
but  when  we  hunt  wolves  and  foxes  we  mean 
business." 

"  And  don't  you  ever  use  anything  but  a  six- 
shooter?" 

"  Oh,  yes,  but  not  very  often.  We  can  do 
pretty  good  work  with  it.  See  that  old  buzzard 
up  yonder  in  the  distance?  Just  watch  him 
now ; "  and  at  the  quick  report  of  the  pistol  the 
bird  fell. 

"  Buzzards  are  frightful-looking  birds,"  said 
Marian  after  duly  admiring  his  skill  as  a  marks- 
man. 

"  Yes,  but  they  have  their  place  in  life,  and 
fill  it  well.  They  are  scavengers.  Belong  to  our 
health  department  so  to  speak.  They  appear  to 
have  a  contract  with  the  Carruths  this  week. 
They  are  swarming  there  in  bunches.  Probably 
it  is  a  couple  of  dead  cows;  they  never  touch  a 
live  body,  however  small.  I  can't  say  that  of  the 
wolves,  the  foxes  and  the  hawks.  I'll  tell  you 
sometime  about  my  encounter  with  a  mad  wolf, 
but  now  I  am  going  to  tell  you  about  the  dead 
man  we  found  here  a  month  ago.  He  w^as  a 
ranger,  one  of  the  few  who  dared  to  hunt  for 


26  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

cattle  thieves  openly,  or  who  did  it;  but  he  had 
a  bullet  neatly  plunked  through  his  temple  from 
a  skilful  hand — that  is  certain.'' 

"  Do  you  often  run  into  things  of  that  sort?  ^' 
Marian  glanced  nervously  around  her  and  drew 
nearer  to  her  companion. 

"  Oh,  no !  I  never  did  before.  It  is  usually 
very  tame  here.  Your  uncle  has  been  afraid  to 
have  you  come  before,  fearing  you  might  die  of 
boredom,  but  now  he  is  worrying  lest  some  harm 
come  to  you;  for  we  have  had  a  good  deal  of 
trouble  off  and  on  since  Bess's  marriage.  Cows 
and  horses  and  even  men  have  disappeared  from 
time  to  time  from  the  various  ranches.  We  take 
turns  now  doing  picket  duty  at  night — and  I  be- 
lieve Tom  Mayberry  never  sleeps  at  all.  He  is 
such  a  devil  of  a  fighter  when  he  gets  started  that 
they're  afraid  of  him — '' 

"  How  about  the  Carruth  family?  " 

Gus  chuckled.  "  Oh,  Jay  never  worries  about 
anything — but  I've  no  doubt  he  makes  the  niggers 
watch  out.  He's  lost  more'n  all  the  rest  of  us 
put  together,  but  he  can  afford  it." 

Marian  would  have  questioned  him  further 
had  they  not  arrived  within  speaking  distance 
of  the  three  men.  At  their  approach  the  consulta- 
tion was  brought  to  an  end;  the  Mexican  turned 
his  horse's  head  and  sullenly  moved  away.    Wild 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  27 

Bill  sat  his  horse  squarely  and  merely  nodded  his 
head,  while  the  third  man  sprang  to  the  ground, 
and  sweeping  off  his  hat  advanced  to  meet  them. 
"A  very  attractive  little  fellow,''  thought  the 
New  York  girl  delighted  with  the  utter  abandon 
of  his  manner,  the  graceful  swing  of  his  walk 
and  his  bold  handsome  features.  Gus  helped  her 
to  descend  from  her  horse  that  she  might  meet 
the  young  man  on  a  more  equal  footing. 

"  Miss  Luce,  Mr.  Carruth,''  he  said,  and  the 
two  shook  hands  laughing  good-naturedly  as  Mr. 
Carruth  at  once  referred  to  the  incident  of  the 
afternoon. 

"Why  wouldn't  you  let  me  give  you  a  lift?" 
he  queried  regarding  her  with  undisguised  admi- 
ration. There  was  at  the  same  time  an  apparent 
consciousness  that  he  himself  could  be  no  less 
than  pleasing  to  any  lady. 

"  How  did  I  know,"  answered  the  girl  eva- 
sively, "  that  you  were  not  some  desperate  char- 
acter?" 

"  He  is ! "  interjected  Gus,  at  which  Gus 
laughed  and  Marian's  eyes  twinkled  apprecia- 
tively. 

"  But  how  do  you  happen  to  be  out  here  when 
Tom  May  berry  and  his  mother  are  at  the  house?  " 
inquired  Jay. 


28  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  So  soon?  Then  we  must  go  back !  ^'  exclaimed 
the  girl  in  surprize. 

Jay  made  a  gesture  of  mock  despair.  "  Just 
like  me  to  spoil  my  own  chances,"  he  groaned. 

"Won't  you  come  back  with  us?"  asked 
Marian. 

"  Sure  I  will.  I  don't  intend  to  let  that  cousin 
of  mine  get  ahead  of  me." 

"  So  he  is  your  cousin.  That  accounts  for  the 
resemblance." 

"Why!  Have  you  already  met  him?''  asked 
Jay  in  surprize,  but  Marian  was  spared  an  an- 
swer by  Gus,  who  called  out, 

"  Hold  on  there,  Bill,  I  want  to  speak  with 
you.  Jay,  will  you  take  Miss  Marian  home?  I'll 
come  along  later." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  trust  yourself  to  me  after 
the  reputation  Gus  has  given  me?  "  inquired  Jay 
looking  archly  at  Marian. 

"  The  decision  seems  to  have  been  taken  out  of 
my  hands,"  she  laughed,  gazing  after  Gus  as  he 
galloped  off  with  Bill. 

"  My  cousin  Tom  is  a  much  better  man  than 
I  am,"  he  remarked  as  they  rode  along  together. 

"  You  are  generous,"  she  answered. 

"  More  than  you  realize,  for  we  are  destined  to 
become  hated  rivals." 

Marian  felt  a  little  confused,  but  was  about  to 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  29 

answer  when  her  horse  shied  violently  to  one  side 
nearly  unseating  her. 

"  Steady,  boy,  steady ! "  said  Jay.  Then  they 
were  both  startled  by  the  appearance  of  a  man, 
half  hidden  by  the  bushes.  As  he  stepped  into 
full  view,  Marian  looked  at  him  in  astonishment. 

"  All  the  good-looking  men  round  here  seem  to 
resemble  each  other,"  she  thought.  "  It  can^t  be 
wholly  the  costume.'' 

Jay's  face  turned  white  as  the  man  approached. 
"  Excuse  me  a  moment,"  he  said  to  Marian,  and 
jumping  from  his  horse  he  stepped  to  one  side 
with  the  stranger.  After  a  short  conference  car- 
ried on  in  a  low  tone,  the  man  again  disappeared, 
seeming  to  melt  into  the  shadows,  and  their  ride 
was  continued,  but  a  change  had  come  over  Jay 
and  he  bore  a  more  marked  resemblance  to  his 
cousin  Tom,  as  his  laughing,  careless  demeanor 
was  replaced  by  a  graver  one. 

"  I  find  I  must  go  back  to  my  ranch  this  even- 
ing," he  said  after  a  moment's  silence.  "  Nothing 
but  the  direst  necessity  would  keep  me  away 
from  you  all  this  evening." 

"  I  hope  nothing  serious  has  happened,"  re- 
marked Marian,  looking  in  surprise  at  his  clouded 
face. 

"  Not  at  all,"  he  answered  lightly  trying  to 
throw  off  the  burden,  but  too  apparent.    "  One  of 


30  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

my  men  just  came  to  tell  me  of  a  little  business 
I  had  forgotten." 

"Was  that  one  of  your  men?"  she  asked  in 
amazement.    "  Why,  he  looked  just  like  you." 

"  Nonsense!  "  he  said  sharply.  "  You  eouldn^t 
see  clearly  in  the  moonlight,  and  it  was  the 
costume." 

Then  he  added  more  gently,  "  I  beg  your  par- 
don, I  didn't  mean  to  be  so  abrupt.  Here  come 
the  other  two.  I  will  leave  you  in  Gus's  charge 
while  I  go  on  with  Bill.  You  may  be  sure  I  shall 
take  the  earliest  opportunity  of  calling  on  you." 

He  repeated  the  story  about  "  one  of  his  men  " 
to  Gus,  then  galloped  away,  sweeping  off  his  hat 
in  farewell  to  Marian  and  calling  out  to  Gus, 

"  Don't  let  Tom  cut  me  out." 

"  Not  on  your  life,"  answered  Gus.  Then  turn- 
ing to  Marian  he  said: 

"  Come,  Miss  Marian,  we  must  hasten  back." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  31 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Upon  reaching  the  house  thej  espied  Bess  pac- 
ing nervously  up  and  down  the  veranda. 

"  Oh,  there  you  are !  "  she  cried,  rushing  out  to 
meet  them.  "  I  thought  you'd  never  come.  Maw 
had  a  duck  fit  and  a  hen  spasm  when  she  saw  you 
weren't  anywhere  round,  and  we  all  had  a  regu- 
lar hog-killing  time  hunting  for  you  when  the  nig- 
ger here  said  she  saw  you  riding  off  with  Gus." 

"  I  ain't  a  nigger,  I's  a  nigero,"  corrected  the 
little  girl. 

"  Mrs.  Mayberry's  here  and  Tom,"  Bess  urged 
impatiently.    "  Hurry  up  and  come  in." 

Marian  slid  from  her  horse,  a  troubled  expres- 
sion on  her  face,  and  one  of  slight  annoyance. 

"  It  is  all  right,  my  dear,"  said  a  sweet  voice, 
as  the  owner — a  noble  middle-aged  looking  wo- 
man—  emerged  from  the  house. 

"This  is  Mrs.  Mayberry,  Madge,"  said  Bess 
awkwardly.  Marian  felt  so  drawn  to  this  woman 
that  her  impulse  was  to  throw  herself  on  her  neck 
in  response  to  her  salutation. 

"  Tom !  "  called  Bess.    "  Come  on  out.'^ 


32  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

At  once  the  doorway  was  darkened  by  the  al- 
ready familiar  form  of  Jay's  cousin.  His  glance 
was  timid  in  comparison  with  the  dashing  cousin, 
and  his  manner  subdued,  as  he  acknowledged  the 
introduction  without  any  reference  to  the  en- 
counter of  the  afternoon. 

"  Of  course  you  could  not  know  we  were  com- 
ing," he  said  reassuringly  in  answer  to  her  apol- 
ogies. 

Gus  grinned.  "  News  travels  fast  in  this  part 
of  the  country,"  he  remarked. 

"  Whatever  he  may  mean  by  that,"  Marian 
hastened  to  explain  blushing  and  looking  at  Tom 
a  trifle  roguishly.  "  I  did  not  know  you  were  to 
be  here  until  I  met  Mr.  Carruth,  and  then  at  his 
instigation,  and  quite  in  accord  with  my  desire, 
we  turned  back  at  once." 

"  By  the  way,  where  is  Jay?  "  asked  Mrs.  May- 
berry,  as  the  party  turned  to  enter  the  house. 
Gus  repeated  Jay's  story. 

"  The  man  looked  very  like  Mr.  Carruth  him- 
self," remarked  Marian. 

This  announcement  had  a  singular  effect  upon 
the  company.  Tom  and  Gus  looked  at  each 
other  in  consternation.  Bess  turned  pale  and 
leant  against  Mrs.  Mayberry  for  support. 

"  You  may  have  imagined  that,"  said  the  elder 
lady  putting  her  arm  around  Bess. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  33 

"  Very  likely.  It  is  easy  to  fancy  a  resemblance 
when  costumes  are  so  similar.'' 

"  Jay  has  a  brother,''  remarked  Hugh  who  had 
joined  the  group,  "  but  it  isn't  likely  that  you  saw 
him,  for  he  wouldn't  dare  show  his  face  round 
here." 

''  Why  not?  " 

'^  Oh,  he's  a  noted  outlaw.  The  detectives  are 
on  his  track  with  instructions  to  get  him  dead 
or  alive.  He  has  a  big  gang  of  followers,  some 
of  them  known,  others  only  suspected." 

"  Moreover,"  broke  in  Gus,  "  there  are  a  lot  of 
men  going  about  here  posing  as  honest  men  who 
are  in  league  with  Joe.  We — I  mean  the  detect- 
ives, can't  prove  enough  against  them  to  warrant 
their  arrest,  but  we're  watching  them,  and  for  all 
they  are  pretty  cute,  they'll  overstep  themselves 
some  day." 

"  Do  you  suppose  any  of  them  are  on  this 
ranch?  "  asked  Marian. 

"  Possibly,"  he  answered  evasively.  "  But  you 
can  see  it  isn't  safe  for  you  to  wander  off  alone. 
You  can't  tell  an  honest  man  from  a  desperado. 
Like  as  not  I'm  one  myself." 

"  You,"  laughed  Mrs.  Mayberry.  "  Don't  heed 
him.  Miss  Marian.    He's  good  as  gold." 

"  I'm  a  lazy  no-account  toad,"  returned  Gus, 
almost  sadly.    "  With  my  education  I  might  have 
3 


34  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

been  somebody,  but  the  shiftlessness  of  my  pro- 
genitors is  in  my  blood,  so  I'm  hardly  worth  kill- 
ing." 

Whereupon  Mrs.  Mayberry  broke  in  quickly, 
"You're  a  fine  lad,  Gus,  and  you  shan't  abuse 
yourself.  Daniel  Luce  says  you're  his  most  faith- 
ful worker.  Remember  also  that  you  have  the 
best  of  your  life  still  before  you.  It  is  my  firm 
belief  we  can  overcome  even  inherited  weakness, 
if  we  persevere  daily  and  ask  the  help  of  our 
Heavenly  Father." 

"  You  couldn't  think  ill  of  any  one,"  replied 
Gus  affectionately.  "  You're  one  of  the  fortunate 
people  who  have  little  to  overcome." 

"  Then,"  answered  the  lady,  "  I  don't  really  de- 
serve as  much  credit  as  you  and  Jay  who  have  to 
fight  your  inheritance  much  of  the  time." 

"  Jay  has  only  part  of  his  ancestors  to  fight," 
laughed  Gus,  "  for  his  mother  was  one  of  your 
own  family,  if  I  remember  aright." 

"  Yes,  she  was  my  cousin,"  answered  Mrs.  May- 
berry,  "  and  certainly  she  was  a  saint." 

"  The  only  decent  creature  that  ever  married 
into  that  family,"  said  Bess  bitterly. 

"  No !  no !  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Mayberry,  putting 
her  arm  about  the  girl,  while  Marian  looked  at 
her  in  surprise. 

Tom  turned  to  her  quickly,  noting  her  expres- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  35 

sion.  "  The  Carruths  are  of  old  Virginia  stock, 
like  ourselves/'  he  began,  "  but  there  is  the  old 
cavalier  blood  in  their  race,  always  looking  for 
adventure, — and  loving  pleasure  and  ease.'' 

"  Worse  than  that,"  interposed  Hugh.  "  There 
has  always  been  at  least  one  really  bad  one  in 
every  generation.  Now  that  Joe  Carruth,  who 
married  Bess,  is  about  as  low-down  a  wretch " 

"What!"  gasped  Marian,  looking  at  Bess's 
pale  face  with  a  better  understanding  of  her  emo- 
tion. Then  her  mind  instantly  recurring  to  Jay, 
she  said,  "  Is  he  really  the  brother  of  the  man  I 
met  to-night?  " 

"  I  didn't  want  her  to  know  that,  Gus,"  said 
Bess  looking  at  him  reproachfully,  "  but  I  sup- 
pose it  would  have  to  come  out  sooner  or  later. 
Joe  isn't  all  bad  and  Jay  is  really  a  good  fellow." 

"  When  he's  sober,"  put  in  Hugh. 

"  He's  no  worse  than  the  rest  of  you  in  that," 
retorted  Bess. 

"  Well,  he  looks  enough  like  his  ornery  brother 
to  pass  for  him,  and  has  found  it  rather  awkward 
on  several  occasions;  but  that  ain't  his  fault. 
Jay  really  is  a  good  chap,  as  you  say,  and  I 
wouldn't  prejudice  Miss  Marian  against  him  for 
the  world.    Let's  change  the  subject." 

Marian  felt  for  her  cousin's  hand  and  held  it 


36  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

in  hers.  "  Poor  girl !  "  she  thought.  "  Her  life 
is  a  ruin  at  its  very  beginning.'^ 

"  Why  doesn't  he  go  far  away  from  here? " 
Marian  demanded  too  much  interested  to  think  of 
anything  else. 

"  I  reckon  he  loves  his  wife  so  much  that  he 
can't,"  said  Tom  smiling  at  Bess. 

"  And  do  you  love  him  still,  Bess? '' 

"  Not  a  whit.    I  loathe  him." 

Marian  moved  slightly  from  her. 

"  She  had  good  reason  for  that,"  interposed 
Mrs.  Mayberry,  who  had  observed  the  action. 

"  But  can  a  real  love  actually  die  out  alto- 
gether?" she  asked. 

Tom  looked  impressed  and  entered  enthusias- 
tically into  the  general  discussion  of  that  all-ab- 
sorbing topic. 

"  May  I  take  you  to  prayer-meeting  to-morrow 
night?"  he  asked  with  some  embarrassment  as 
they  rose  to  leave.  "  It  is  about  the  only  thing 
there  is  to  take  a  girl  to  here. — I  feel  kind  of 
mean  trying  to  get  ahead  of  Jay,"  he  continued 
still  more  shyly,  after  he  had  received  her  an- 
swer in  the  affirmative.  "And  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  I  expect  I'll  have  him  to  fight.  I  may  be 
the  bigger  but  he  stands  just  as  good  a  chance 
of  licking  me  as  I  him." 

Mrs.  Mayberry,  while  taking  her  departure, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  37 

urged  Marian  to  return  her  call  as  speedily  as 
possible,  and  Bess  promised  in  her  name  that  it 
should  be  done. 

"  Madge,  come  in  and  sleep  with  me,''  pleaded 
Bess  when  they  finally  stood  alone  in  the  corri- 
dor.   "  I  declare  I  feel  as  nervous  as  a  witch." 

"  All  right,"  the  other  assented. 

Upon  entering  Bess's  room,  Marian  observed 
that  each  window  was  fortified  by  iron  bars,  like 
those  of  a  prison. 

"  I  reckon  you  would  have  them,  too,  if  some- 
body was  round  threatening  to  kill  you ;  and  had 
tried  twice  to  carry  you  off,"  snapped  Bess  in  re- 
turn for  her  light  raillery. 

"  Why  did  he  try  to  carry  you  off?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you  some  other  time.  I'm  sleepy 
now." 

"  Tell  me  now." 

"  Oh,  go  to  sleep.  I  reckon  it  is  because  he 
can't  live  without  me." 

"  Bess ! "  whispered  Marian  quickly  in  a  star- 
tled tone  after  the  lights  were  out  and  curtain  up. 
"  Bess !  I  saw  a  face  look  in  at  the  window !  " 

But  Bess  was  already  asleep  and  Marian  lis- 
tening with  the  intentness  of  fear,  heard  not  a 
sound.  Even  the  odor  of  the  Algerita  which  usu- 
ally soothed  and  satisfied  her  seemed  heavy  and 
oppressive. 


38  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  life  of  the  ranch-owner  is  almost  as  lux- 
urious and  autocratic  as  that  of  an  Oriental  sov- 
ereign, and  James  Car  ruth,  enjoyed  his  privileges 
to  their  fullest  extent.  Living  fifty  miles  from 
town,  with  no  neighbors  but  the  Mayberrys  and 
Luces,  he  welcomed  the  advent  of  Marian  as  a 
gift  from  the  Gods.  Nothing  but  the  direst  neces- 
sity, as  he  himself  truly  said,  would  have  forced 
him  to  desert  the  field  as  he  had  done  the  night 
before.  He  thought  of  his  dear  friend  and  cousin 
as  a  possible  rival,  but  had  no  notion  that  he 
might  be  a  successful  one,  nevertheless  he  did  not 
intend  to  give  him  a  second's  advantage,  and  was 
quite  chagrined  when  he  heard  Tom  was  to  take 
the  young  lady  to  the  camp-meeting. 

It  had  been  one  of  those  hot  days  when  not 
a  breath  of  air  was  stirring  and  every  move- 
ment seemed  an  exertion.  Marian  longed  for  the 
evening  and  the  cooling  breeze  which  always 
comes  at  nightfall.  It  came  at  last  and  with  it 
Tom  Mayberry  in  a  neat  little  runabout. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  39 

"  I  got  hurrahed  not  a  little,"  he  said,  looking 
with  admiration  at  Marian  in  her  pretty  muslin 
dress,  "  when  the  boys  saw  me  with  this  wagon. 
They  said  I  might  take  you  to  drive,  but  that  Jay 
took  you  to  ride  on  horse  yesterday.  Walt  will 
never  get  over  that.  We  never  knew  Jay  get  left 
before  and  it  sort  of  tickled  the  whole  of  us.'' 

"  Tom,"  yelled  a  voice  behind  them,  "  it's  goin' 
to  rain  bull  yearlings  in  less'n  two  hours. 
What'll  you  bet  it  won't?  " 

"  I'll  bet  Miss  Marian  a  Yankee  dime  it  won't 
rain  for  a  week,"  called  out  Tadpole. 

"What's  a  Yankee  dime?"  asked  Marian. 

"  Oh,  only  some  of  Tadpole's  nonsense,"  an- 
swered Tom  evasively. 

"  In  plain  English,  it  means  a  kiss,"  inter- 
rupted Hugh,  who  was  now  riding  along  beside 
the  carriage.    "  Say,  Tom,  am  I  in  the  way?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  answered  Tom  with  an  air  of  an- 
noyance. "  The  fact  is,  Miss  Marian,  Hugh  never 
will  let  a  fellow  alone  when  he  has  a  girl  with 
him." 

"  I'd  like  to  know  when  you  ever  had  a  girl 
with  you  before,"  shouted  Hugh. 

"  Pretty  girls  are  as  scarce  as  hen's  teeth  down 
here,"  he  added  "  and  none  of  us  get  much  of  a 
chance;  but  I'll  ride  on  before  Tom  shoots,"  and 
off  he  dashed. 


40  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

At  last  tliey  arrived  at  the  tent  and  as  Marian 
agreed  that  it  would  be  pleasanter  outside  than 
in,  they  drew  rein  where  both  preacher  and  con- 
gregation were  in  full  view.  Marian  settled  back 
to  her  surroundings,  drinking  in  the  breeze  with 
perfect  content.  She  had  wondered  once  or  twice 
if  James  Carruth  were  to  be  there,  and  not  see- 
ing him  she  scanned  the  country  for  a  glimpse  of 
him. 

"  He'll  be  here  sure,"  answered  Tom  to  her  in- 
quiry. "  Jay's  always  on  hand  when  there's  any- 
thing doing,  be  it  a  hog  killing,  a  branding,  a 
dance,  or  a  prayer-meeting." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  really  care  if  he  doesn't 
come,"  thought  Marian.  "  Mr.  Tom  Mayberry 
makes  me  feel  very  comfortable  but  there  is  some- 
thing of  an  uncertain  quality  about  this  fascinat- 
ing Mr.  Carruth."  She  was  about  to  settle  back 
again  with  a  peaceful  but,  perhaps,  somewhat 
bored  feeling,  when  her  face  lighted  and  she  bent 
forward  eagerly.  The  gentleman  in  question  had 
just  appeared,  accompanied  by  several  others,  all 
of  whom,  after  duly  saluting  Marian,  stationed 
themselves  by  the  side  of  the  carriage,  sitting 
sideways  on  their  saddles  so  they  might  "  watch 
the  show  "  and  make  running  comments  upon  it 
for  Marian's  benefit. 

The  new  Tabernacle  was  a  large  round  tent 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  41 

filled  with  pews  which  were  crowded  with  people. 
Marian  sat  where  she  could  easily  watch  the 
preacher's  face.  This  central  tent  was  sur- 
rounded by  others  from  which  people  constantly 
emerged.  The  grounds  were  filled  with  cattle- 
men, young  and  old,  all  dressed  in  cowboy  fash- 
ion, and  with  clanking  spurs  at  their  heels. 
Every  belt  held  a  knife  and  a  six-shooter,  even  at 
this  religious  gathering.  These  weapons  are 
still  carried  in  places  remote  from  the  towns, 
although  forbidden  by  law.  Their  walk  was  the 
peculiar  swing  of  men  used  to  the  saddle. 

"  Yes,  we  all  walk  spraddle-legged,'^  was  the 
comment  of  Gus,  in  answer  to  her  inquiring  ob- 
servation. 

The  comparatively  few  women  showed  more 
variety  in  their  dress,  though  no  more  befitting 
the  scene,  for  their  attire,  in  the  main  a  home- 
made attempt  at  style,  was  very  rarely  success- 
ful ;  but  her  opinion  Marian  kept  to  herself,  feel- 
ing something  pathetic  about  the  striving  after 
the  beautiful  in  these  narrow  lives. 

At  some  distance  from  the  tent,  but  near 
enough  to  hear  the  words  of  the  preacher,  was 
a  small  body  of  negroes. 

"  Why  don't  they  go  in? ''  asked  Marian  inno- 
cently. 

The  boys  near  her  stared  in  surprise  at  her 


42  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

question,  but  Gus,  who  had  been  "up  North," 
remarked  sarcastically. 

"  Niggers  aren't  allowed  to  be  saved  in  this 
country." 

"  Niggers  ain't  really  human,  anyway,  are  they, 
Gus?  "  laughed  Jay. 

"  I  reckon  they're  not,"  answered  Gus  calmly. 

"  Does  anyone  think  they  are?  "  queried  Hugh. 

"  I  do,"  answered  Tom  with  dignity ;  but  the 
other  boys  looked  at  each  other  and  exchanged 
confidential  opinions  that  Tom  was  trying  to  get 
solid  with  Miss  Marian,  for  up  North  a  nigger 
was  held  to  be  as  good  as  a  white  man. 

Before  the  discussion  could  begin  again, 
"  Brother  Butler,"  the  regular  preacher,  with 
"  Sister  Butler  "  and  two  little  Butlers,  drove  up 
to  the  tent. 

"  Good-evening,  my  friends,"  called  the 
preacher  pleasantly.  "  Let  me  shake  hands  with 
our  new  sister.  My  wife,  Mrs.  Butler,  sister  Luce. 
You  are  one  of  the  elect,  I  hope,"  he  added  with  a 
searching  glance. 

"  I  am  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church," 
answered  Marian,  and  an  embarrassing  silence 
fell  upon  the  group,  followed  by  the  comforting 
assurance  from  the  preacher  that  she  would  be 
all  right,  doubtless,  after  the  revival. 

"Well,"   urged  the  good  man — for  good  he 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  43 

truly  was —  "  we  want  you  all  on  the  Lord's  side 
to-night.  Remember  that  we  are  but  sojourners 
here,  and  that  Heaven  is  our  home." 

"  We're  a  long  way  from  home  down  here, 
then,"  muttered  Gus,  as  the  preacher  passed  on 
to  greet  others  of  his  flock. 

"  They've  got  their  eyes  on  Wild  Bill  to-night, 
and  they'll  get  him,  no  matter  where  he's  sneak- 
ing," whispered  Gus. 

"  Is  he  really  so  bad  ?  "  asked  Marian. 

"  Well,  he  ain't  so  wicked  as  he  is  tough.  He 
wouldn't  kill  a  white  man  just  for  fun,  nor  run 
off  with  a  married  woman  against  her  will;  but 
he  occasionally  amasses  enough  liquor  to  put  him 
out  of  business  for  a  day  or  two,  and  he  is  in 
such  constant  practise  in  that  line  that  it  re- 
quires no  small  amount.  He  ain't,  so  to  say, 
sweet  tempered  at  any  time,  but  he's  worse  when 
he's  drunk.  Then  he  has  been  known  to  turn  a 
penny  or  two  at  the  gaming  table." 

"  Of  co'se — but  we  all  do  that,"  spoke  up  Tad- 
pole, "  and  get  full  on  Christmas  and  other  hol- 
idays; a  feller's  got  to  do  somethin'  for  fun,  but 
we're  safe,  and  you've  got  to  look  out  for  Bill. 
The  soberer  he  is  the  straighter  he  can  shoot.  I 
don't  know  what  kind  of  a  lady's  man  he  is,  but — 
Godfrey  Snakes,  look  there!  Harris  and  Fritz 
are  walking  right  into  the  tent — into  the  lion's 


44  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

den,  so  to  speak.  Fritz  is  in  for  it,  sure's  a  gun. 
There'll  be  some  fun  directly."  A  ripple  of  ex- 
citement ran  through  the  little  crowd. 

"  Ain't  the  evangelist  a  regular  guy ! "  com- 
mented Tad,  as  that  individual  arose  and  in  a 
sepulchral  voice  gave  out  the  hymn,  "  When  the 
Roll  is  Called  Up  Yonder,''  with  an  expression 
which  Gus  characterized  as  "  a  dying  duck  in  a 
thunder  shower." 

"  That  there  preacher  don't  appeal  to  me  like 
he  had  a  mite  of  humility,"  remarked  one  negro 
to  another. 

"  He  means  ^  humanity,'  "  whispered  Gus. 

"  I  think  him  and  me  would  have  a  discrepancy, 
sure,"  continued  the  black  man,  as  the  divine, 
whose  name  was  Sin  Killer  Jones,  gave  out  the 
text,  "  He  will  separate  the  sheep  from  the  goats." 

"  What  a  pity  Brother  Butler  don't  speak  to- 
night," said  Tom  in  a  disappointed  tone. 

"  Oh,  but  this  feller's  a  powerful  speaker," 
urged  Tad  enthusiastically. 

"  Just  the  same,  I  don't  like  his  looks,"  ob- 
served Marian  who  had  been  studying  his  face. 
"  I  don't  trust  him.  I  think  he's  one  of  the 
goats." 

"  That's  just  the  way  I  feel,"  Tom  agreed. 
"  His  sermons  are  all  full  of  fire  and  brimstone, 
and  never  a  word  about  the  love " 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  45 

"  Oh,  you've  got  love  on  the  brain/'  giggled 
Hugh. 

"  Just  the  same/'  persisted  Tom  turning  very 
red,  "  I  don't  think  this  man  is  sincere." 

"  His  voice  and  his  face  are  against  him," 
chimed  in  Marian. 

"  Yes,"  his  champion  grudgingly  assented. 
"  He  might  get  a  new  face  to  advantage,  anyhow 
so  far  as  beauty  goes." 

Tom  meanwhile  was  conversing  with  Gus  in 
an  undertone.  "  Can't  you  ask  S.  K.  where  he  is 
to  spend  the  night?"  he  queried. 

"  No,  that  might  embarrass  him — " 

"  Sure  enough,"  both  the  boys  laughed,  and 
Gus  continued,  "  but  I'll  invite  him  to  stay  at 
the  ranch,  and  if  he  refuses,  we'll  find  out  with- 
out asking." 

"  So  old  Sin  Killer's  back  agin,"  broke  in  Bill 
who  had  ridden  up  at  that  juncture. 

"  A  friend  of  yours,  I  believe,"  answered  Tom 
sarcastically. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  " 
growied  the  gentleman. 

"  You  needn't  get  so  mad  about  it,  though  I 
confess  I  should  hate  to  own  it  if  it  were  me," 
Tom  persisted. 

"  You'd  better  clear  out  till  this  meeting's  over, 
Bill,"  called  Jay.     "  The  women  are  all  on  the 


46  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

watch  for  you,  to  bring  you  into  the  fold  to- 
night." 

Bill  looked  darker  than  ever,  but  vouchsafed 
no  reply. 

"  Could  such  a  man  ever  be  converted? ''  whis- 
pered Marian. 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  answered.  "  I  wish  he 
might,  but  it  would  be  almost  a  miracle." 

At  this  point  a  cattleman  of  mature  years,  who 
had  drawn  up  at  a  short  distance,  urged  his  horse 
a  little  nearer  to  the  group,  watching  them  with 
so  keen  a  glance  that  Marian  turned  to  Tom  to 
see  if  he  had  observed  him. 

"  S.  K.  Jones  is  giving  it  to  them  for  fair,"  he 
remarked  to  Gus  in  the  broad  dialect  of  the  low 
country,  and  as  he  caught  Tom's  eye  a  quick 
recognition  passed  between  them. 

"  Do  you  know  him?  "  asked  Marian,  for  in  this 
stranger  she  recognized  the  older  of  the  two  men 
whom  she  had  overheard  on  the  train. 

"  I  think  I  have  seen  him  before,"  was  his  some- 
what evasive  answer. 

"  He  is  rather  striking  looking,"  she  continued, 
but  as  Gus  made  no  answer  she  turned  her  atten- 
tion to  the  Tabernacle. 

"  Jay,"  called  a  youth  from  the  Carruth  ranch, 
"  did  you  collect  that  bill  to-day?  " 

"  You  bet  I  did,  sonny !  " 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  47 

Marian  laughed  as  she  said  mischievously, 
"  I^ve  heard  that  Southerners  never  paid  their 
bills.'' 

"  Well,  they  pay  them  down  here,  right  smart 
quick.  It's  easy  collecting  them,  too.  We  take 
the  bill  in  one  hand  and  a  six-shooter  in  the  other, 
and  the  money's  paid  right  on  the  spot,  without 
a  word  of  argument." 

The  evangelist  continued  his  impassioned  ad- 
dress, his  voice  gaining  in  volume  as  he  pro- 
ceeded, till  the  echoes  rang  with  it. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  him?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  I  hardly  know,"  replied  the  girl  medita- 
tively. "  He  seems  very  much  in  earnest,  but 
somehow  I  feel  as  if  he  didn't  really  believe  what 
he  says." 

"  There  have  been  some  ugly  things  hinted 
about  him,"  Tom  informed  her,  "  and  no  one 
really  knows  much  about  the  man;  but  Brother 
Butler  won't  believe  a  word  against  a  preacher. 
He  insists  that  as  one  of  the  Lord's  annointed, 
Jones  can  be  a  great  power  for  good  in  the  com- 
munity. Brother  Butler  is  such  a  saint  himself 
that  the  people  about  here  adore  him,  even  if  he 
won't  let  them  dance,  play  cards,  or  drink.  They 
know  no  one  else  will  help  them  as  quickly  in  any 
real  trouble.  They  take  the  evangelist  on  faith 
because  Butler  believes  in  him.     The  man  has 


48  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

power,  certainly,  but,  like  you,  I  doubt  his  sin- 
cerity. His  personal  magnetism  is  marvelous. 
Just  see  those  girls  crying  over  yonder,  and  those 
others  jumping  up  and  down  with  excitement.'' 

Just  then,  the-  evangelist  paused  and  said, 
"  Brother  Butler  will  now  address  the  meeting.'' 

The  people  quieted  down  as  the  good  man  arose. 
His  rugged  but  earnest  discourse  showed  the 
worth  of  real  feeling.  His  hearers  knew  that  he 
was  sincerely  anxious  for  their  salvation,  and  it 
moved  them  all,  as  mere  rhetorical  effect  could 
never  do.  At  length  the  excitement  rose  to  fever 
heat.  Women  on  all  sides  were  laughing  and  cry- 
ing, and  men  were  shouting.  Marian  felt  herself 
trembling  in  sympathy. 

"  I  never  saw  anything  like  this  before,"  she 
whisperd  to  Tom.    "  I  can't  understand  it." 

"  We  are  an  emotional  people,"  he  answered. 
"  Always  remember  that  in  your  judgment  of 
us." 

"  The  cowboy  is  essentially  a  tropical  animal," 
laughed  Gus ;  "  you  will  see  that  more  and  more." 

Just  then  the  congregation  began  singing,  "  I'll 
Be  Ready  When  the  Bridegroom  Comes." 

At  the  end  of  the  first  stanza  the  evangelist 
called  out :  "  Won't  you  come  forward,  dear 
friends,  and  give  us  a  sign  that  you  want  to  be 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  49 

saved?  Dear  brother,  dear  sister,  won't  you  come 
to-night?  ^' 

Much  to  Marian's  surprise  the  bashful  Fritz 
suddenly  left  his  seat  and  advanced  up  the  aisle, 
where  he  was  met  with  joy  by  the  little  band 
around  the  evangelist.  The  other  cowboys,  in- 
stead of  jeering,  as  she  expected,  reverently  un- 
covered their  heads  as  Fritz  knelt.  Marian 
looked  over  to  where  Jay  was  standing.  His 
face  had  an  exalted  expression,  which  made  it 
really  noble. 

"Where's  Bill?"  drawled  Gus.  "He's  the 
most  lurid  sinner  of  this  crowd."  But  Bill  had 
disappeared. 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go  now?  "  whispered  Tom, 
and  she  assented,  nodding  a  smiling  farewell  to 
the  others  as  he  took  up  the  reins.  As  the  horse 
moved  slowly  off  she  looked  back  at  the  excited 
crowd  with  the  picturesque  groups  of  cowboys, 
the  knots  of  dark-skinned  people  on  the  outskirts 
and  the  bevies  of  women  moving  to  and  fro,  en- 
treating all  to  come  forward. 

Soon  the  tumult  ceased,  and  only  the  hum  of 
the  insects,  or  the  chirp  of  a  sleepy  bird  was 
heard.  Overhead  the  stars  shone  brightly ;  and  a 
soft  breeze  blew  back  the  light  tendrils  of  hair 
on  Marian's  forehead.  She  glanced  up  at  Tom, 
4 


50  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

as  he  sat  strong  and  erect  beside  her,  his  face 
shaded  by  his  wide-brimmed  soft  hat. 

"  You  will  be  very  late  in  reaching  home,"  she 
said. 

Tom  turned  toward  her  with  a  smile  which  lit 
up  his  rather  sober  countenance. 

"  I  am  not  going  home  to-night,"  he  returned. 
"  I  shall  be  obliged  to  attend  to  some  work  that 
will  take  me  half  the  night  and — " 

Here  the  sound  of  horses'  feet  in  the  soft  grass 
caused  Tom  to  stop  and  listen.  Almost  imme- 
diately, it  was  followed  by  a  pistol  shot  and  a 
voice  calling,  "Halt!" 

Tom  seized  Marian  by  the  shoulder  and  pushed 
her  violently  from  the  seat,  saying  "  Get  down 
underneath !    Take  the  reins !  " 

They  were  both  behind  the  sheltering  back  seat 
in  the  fractional  part  of  a  second,  the  horse  with 
the  instinctive  sagacity  of  that  animal  sprang  for- 
ward, and  dashed  ahead  with  all  the  speed  of  an 
Arabian  steed  and  without  any  urging  or  guid- 
ance. Tom  had  faced  about  with  a  powerful  dark 
lantern  in  one  hand,  and  a  loaded  revolver  in  the 
other.  Both  had  been  lying  primed  and  ready 
for  use  in  the  bottom  of  the  wagon.  Rapid  as 
their  movements  had  been,  another  shot  had 
whizzed  over  their  heads  and  judging  from  the 
angry  snort  of  the  horse,  it  had  evidently  grazed 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  51 

him  lightly.    Tom  flashed  the  lantern  and  fired 
three  successive  shots  directly  ahead  of  him. 

"  One  man  is  down,"  he  remarked  laconically. 
Then  he  fired  three  more,  and  waited.  There  was 
no  sound  in  response.  Marian  was  too  frightened 
to  question  him.  The  position  on  the  floor  of  the 
wagon  was  well-nigh  intolerable.  In  the  dark 
the  little  hills  and  valleys  could  not  be  avoided 
and  they  were  constantly  rattled  and  jolted;  in 
several  instances  nearly  thrown  from  the  vehicle. 

"  It  was  evidently  no  joke/'  Tom  whispered, 
"  for  they  were  masked.  If  anything  should  hap- 
pen to  me,  just  you  hold  the  reins  in  one  hand 
and  this  gun  in  the  other ;  nobody's  going  to  hurt 
a  woman  alone,  and  the  horse  will  go  on  home 
without  any  help.  But  I  believe  they're  going 
away.  They  see  that  they  can't  scare  us,  and  it 
won't  do  them  any  good  to  kill  us ;  moreover,  we 
have  an  advantage  over  them  with  this  dark  lan- 
tern. They  weren't  prepared  for  that.  Your 
Uncle  Dan  got  it  for  me  just  lately." 

"  Did  you  ever  expect  to  put  it  to  such  a  use 
as  this?  " 

"  Never  did !  I  think  we  can  go  slower  now. 
Your  back  must  be  nearly  broken." 

"  It  is.  Do  you  dare  risk  it  to  get  on  to  the 
seat  again?" 


52  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Not  quite  yet.  I  am  so  sorry  to  have  gotten 
you  into  this." 

"  Indeed,  I  feel  that  you  have  rather  gotten  me 
out  of  it.  Most  anyone  else  would  have  stood 
right  there  for  fear  of  getting  shot.'' 

"  Well,  I  knew  they  wouldn't  gain  anything 
by  shooting  us." 

"  How  did  you  happen  to  be  so  well  equipped?  " 

"  Oh,  since  that  feller  was  found  dead,  we've 
all  gone  armed  to  the  teeth  whenever  we  stir 
out  at  night." 

"  Won't  you  trust  me  enough  to  tell  me  w^ho 
and  what  you  think  it  was?  " 

Tom  hesitated  before  answering. 

"  Yes,  I  will,"  he  assented. 

"  But  they  are  sure  gone,  scared  away  by  our 
searchlight,  and  we  can  sit  on  the  seat." 

"  Oh !  "  groaned  Marian.  She  was  trembling 
from  fright,  and  from  the  exertion  of  her  cramped 
position,  when  she  finally  with  Tom's  assistance, 
crawled  from  her  retreat  to  a  more  comfortable 
position. 

"  In  return  for  my  confidence,"  he  went  on, 
while  he  was  helping  her,  "you  must  agree  not 
to  mention  this  little  occurrence.  It  might  cause 
a  panic  among  the  younger  boys.  Then  there  are 
other  reasons  for  silence.  My  private  opinion  is 
we  were  pursued  by  Joe  Carruth  and  some  of 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  53 

his  confederates.  They  want  certain  information 
and  some  concessions  from  me,  and  have  been 
watching  for  this  very  chance." 

"Then  you  believe  Joe  Carruth  is  in  this 
vicinity?  " 

"  Yes.  I  have  thought  so  ever  since  what  you 
said  the  other  night,  and  so  has  Gus." 

Marian  leaned  back  overpowered  by  emotion 
and  was  glad  to  see  the  lights  of  her  uncle's 
ranch  twinkling  in  the  distance. 


54  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  VL 

At  noon  the  next  day,  Marian,  nothing 
daunted,  found  herself  returning  on  foot  from  a 
visit  to  the  Mexican  village,  which  lay  on  her 
uncle's  ranch  but  a  short  distance  from  the  house. 

She  had  not  closed  her  eyes  the  night  before, 
and  at  the  first  ray  of  dawn  had  risen  to  dress 
herself  and  to  walk  out  into  the  cool  morning 
air.  All  was  as  tranquil  as  a  New  England  farm 
at  that  hour.  The  spirit  of  peace  and  the  fresh- 
ness of  the  atmosphere  calmed  her  nerves  and 
braced  her,  so  that  at  breakfast  she  had  succeeded 
in  appearing  quite  her  usual  self. 

But  again  she  felt  that  she  must  get  away 
alone,  and  accordingly  she  set  out  on  foot,  in- 
tending not  to  go  out  of  sight  of  the  house.  Re- 
turning from  the  Mexican  village  her  natural 
good  spirits  had  risen  above  her  fears  and  ap- 
prehensions. How  good  it  was  to  be  alive  on  a 
day  like  this,  and  how  promising  the  future 
seemed  in  this  enchanted  country ! 

The  sound  of  a  horse's  hoofs  on  the  soft  earth 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  55 

came  to  her  ears,  and  almost  at  the  same  moment 
a  horse  and  rider  appeared  on  the  top  of  a  hillock 
as  if  springing  from  the  earth.  Marian  glanced 
quickly  at  him  and  encountered  the  keen  eyes  of 
the  cattleman  who  had  so  earnestly  regarded  her 
at  the  camp-meeting  the  evening  before. 

"  Good-evening,"  he  said,  removing  his  broad 
hat  and  springing  to  the  ground  by  her  side. 
"  Can  you  tell  me  if  I  am  on  the  Luce  ranch? '' 

"  You  are,"  she  answered  looking  at  him  with 
appreciation.  He  was  a  tall,  erect,  healthy  spec- 
imen of  manhood,  about  forty  years  of  age,  who 
looked  as  if  he  had  spent  the  most  of  his  life 
in  the  open  air. 

"  I  have  ridden  for  fifty  miles,"  he  explained, 
"  alone  with  the  green  grass,  the  cows,  the  blue 
sky,  and  God  Almighty.  It  was  getting  a  bit 
monotonous,  and  I  was  glad  to  see  a  human.  I 
am  going  to  stop  at  the  Luce  ranch  to-night." 

Then  he  added  in  a  different  tone,  "  You  saw 
me  last  night  at  the  camp-meeting?  " 

"  Yes,  and  I  saw  you  on  the  train,  too." 

"Did  you?"  The  man  looked  surprised. 
"  May  I  be  pardoned,''  he  suggested,  "  if  I  warn 
you  not  to  go  so  far  from  your  house  and  on  foot? 
It's  the  greatest  luck  if  nothing  happens  to  you." 

"  Everyone  tells  me  that,"  she  retorted. 

"  If  you  will  mount  my  horse,  I  will  lead  him 


56  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

in  any  direction  you  suggest,'^  he  offered  hos- 
pitably. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  want  you  to  mount  him. 
You  cattlemen  do  so  hate  to  walk.'' 

"  Now  that  is  a  fact.  I  could  ride  from  here 
to  New  York  without  stopping,  but  it  nearly 
kills  me  to  walk  a  mile — ^you  see  I  suspect  you  are 
from  that  city — recognize  your  accent.'' 

"  Have  you  been  there?  "  she  asked. 

"  Oh,  yes !  I've  been  all  over  the  country. 
You  Northern  girls  are  so  well  protected  in  your 
large  cities,  you  have  little  to  fear,  but  this  is  a 
lawless  place.  Where  are  you  going  all  by  your- 
self, if  I  may  ask?" 

"  I  was  on  the  way  to  Senora  Picarda's." 

He  gave  her  a  quick  glance,  and  his  color  rose 
a  little,  but  Marian  continued, 

"  She  is  a  most  hospitable  soul  and  loves  to 
have  me  come  to  see  her.  She  gives  me  tortillas 
and  frijoles  to  eat,  and  tells  me  all  about  her 
life  in  Mexico.  She  has  two  lovely  little  girls, 
but  her  home  is  a  wretched  hovel,  and  her  hus- 
band— Well !  "  and  Marian  shrugged  her  shoul- 
ders with  an  air  of  aversion. 

"  What  about  her  husband?  " 

"  I  don't  really  know  much  about  him,  except 
that  he  w^orks  for  my  uncle." 

"  Works !  "  he  repeated  with  a  short  laugh. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  57 

"  Why,  do  you  know  him?  " 

"  I  know  the  Greasers,  and  they  are  all  alike,— 
a  shiftless,  mongrel  race  on  a  par  with  niggers. 
Is  Seiior  Picarda  usually  at  home?  " 

"No.  He  often  disappears  for  days,  then 
comes  back  and  lies  around  till  the  cool  of  the 
evening  when  he  goes  to  work.  I  think  he  is  at 
home  now.'' 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  then  he  in- 
quired, "What  did  you  think  of  the  preacher 
last  night?  " 

She  hesitated.  "I  like  Brother  Butler.  He 
seems  to  be  a  good  man,  but  S.  K.  Jones,  as  the 
boys  call  him,  though  a  powerful  preacher, 
doesn't  please  me  at  all.  What  do  you  think  of 
him?" 

He  threw  up  his  head  with  a  short  laugh.  "  I 
think  a  man  needn't  go  around  looking  like  a 
sick  monkey  eating  potash,  just  because  he's 
pious." 

They  had  been  walking  along  side  by  side,  the 
stranger  leading  his  horse,  when  the  ranch  came 
into  view. 

"  Here  we  are  at  home,  and  just  in  time  for 
dinner,"  exclaimed  Marian.  "You  know  my 
uncle,  I  presume." 

"  No.    I  only  came  on  a  matter  of  business." 

"  Then  come  right  into  the  dining-room." 


58  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Come  on,  Marian/'  shouted  Uncle  Dan  from 
the  head  of  the  table,  "  we're  waiting  on  you,  like 
one  hog  waits  on  another." 

Then  seeing  the  stranger,  he  came  forward 
with  extended  hand,  for  a  prepossessing  stranger 
was  always  gladly  welcomed  at  the  Luce  ranch. 

The  man,  after  announcing  himself  as  Mr.  Hys- 
lop,  of  Athens,  was  presented  to  the  rest  of  the 
company,  and  cordially  invited  to  partake  of  the 
meal  which  the  hospitable  hostess  complained 
was  not  at  all  what  it  should  be.  Mr.  Hyslop 
was  at  once  taken  into  the  confidence  of  the 
party,  and  encouraged  to  join  in  the  conversation, 
which  was  perhaps  unusually  vivacious  because 
of  his  presence.  He  praised  the  beauty  of  the 
country,  expressed  his  desire  to  view  more  thor- 
oughly the  Luce  ranch,  and  then,  turning  to  the 
boys,  he  asked  if  they  couldn't  get  up  a  hunting 
party.    The  boys  agreed  with  enthusiasm. 

"  It's  going  to  be  cloudy  for  to-night,  I'm 
afraid,"  said  Tad,  "  but  if  it  is  we  can  go  to-mor- 
row night,  for  sure ;  there's  a  good  moon  now." 

"  If  it  is  a  dark  night,"  said  the  "  Boss  "  with 
decision,  "  you-all  will  have  to  stay  and  guard  the 
ranch  and  stables.  There's  been  some  stealing 
round  here  of  late.  If  I  catch  the  thief,  he'll  be 
hung  to  the  first  tree  without  ceremony." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  59 

"  Oh,  Dan !  "  said  Aunt  Phoebe  reproachfully, 
"  that  wouldn^t  be  right  now." 

"  Why  not?  ''  asked  Uncle  Dan.  "  If  we  catch 
him  doing  it,  we're  sure  he's  guilty." 

"  Say  Dad,''  broke  in  Bess,  "  if  it's  a  good 
night,  mayn't  Marian  and  I  go  hunting  too?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  began  her  father  doubtfully, 
when  both  Mr.  Hyslop  and  Gus  suggested  that  it 
would  be  too  much  for  the  ladies. 

"  You  needn't  worry  about  that,"  spoke  up  'Jay 
quickly.  "  If  they  get  tired,  Harry  and  I  will 
take  them  home." 

Harry  was  a  youth  in  Jay's  employ,  a  hand- 
some fellow  of  good  family,  who  was  very  much 
in  love  with  Bess,  and  not  entirely  scorned  by 
that  young  lady.  The  two  girls  thanked  Jay  so 
enthusiastically  that  he  felt  he  had  scored  one 
more  point  against  Tom  who  had  taken  no  part 
whatever  in  the  debate. 

"  Marian,"  broke  in  Uncle  Dan,  "  don't  you 
want  to  hear  a  good  story?  I^ve  a  rip-tailed 
snorter  of  a  story  that  Tom  told  me  last  night," 
and  he  looked  mischievously  at  that  young  man 
who  turned  an  agonized  red. 

"  For  Heaven's  sake,  don't  tell  her  that  story. 
Boss !  "  he  gasped. 

"  Oh,  I  must  tell  it,"  he  chuckled ;  "  don't  you 
want  to  hear  it,  Marian?  " 


60  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  I  am  quite  sure  I  would  like  any  story  of  Mr. 
Mayberry's/'  she  answered  serenely. 

"  Don't  you  tell  her  that  story,  Boss,"  pleaded 
Tom,  and  "  Now,  you  shut  up.  Dad,"  broke  in 
Bess,  "  and  give  me  some  sop.  Don't  you  want 
some  sop,  Marian?  " 

"  Sop?  "  said  Marian  in  a  questioning  tone. 

"  I  mean  sorghum.  We  call  it  ^  sop '  or  long 
sweetening.  Sugar  is  short  sweetening.  Didn't 
you  ever  eat  any  sorghum  pie?  " 

"  I  never  did,"  said  Marian  meekly. 

"  Well,  it's  right  good,  and  sweet  potato  pie, 
too.    We'll  have  some  while  you're  here." 

"  Boss,"  spoke  up  Bill  with  an  evil  look, 
"ain't  you  goin'  to  tell  that  story?  Goin'  to  let 
the  women  folks  scare  you  out  of  it?  " 

"  Oh,  yes ! "  began  the  old  gentleman.  Tom 
glared  at  Bill  and  Aunt  Phoebe  rushed  to  the 
rescue. 

"  You,  Bill,"  she  said  sharply,  "  just  you  shut 
up.  Dan  shan't  tell  any  of  his  stories  before 
Marian." 

"  Keep  cool.  Ma,"  interjected  Bess.  "  As  Mar- 
ian and  I  have  finished  eatin'  we'll  leave  Paw 
and  Bill  to  tell  stories  to  each  other  if  they  want 
to." 

She  rose  from  the  table  looking  at  Bill  with 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  61 

studied  insolence,  but  her  gaze  fell  before  the 
look  of  glowering  hatred  which  met  hers. 

"Why  does  Bill  hate  jou  so?"  asked  Marian 
impulsively,  as  they  stood  on  the  veranda  about 
half  an  hour  later. 

Bess  turned  a  little  pale.  "  I  don't  know,"  she 
faltered.  "  I'm  sure  enough  afraid  of  him,  but  I 
never  let  him  know  it.  I  wish  Paw  would  turn 
him  off,  but  he  won't.  Bill's  a  good  worker,  an' 
awful  good  to  him.  You  know  Paw  is  easy,  bless 
his  dear,  lazy  old  carcass,"  and  her  eyes  looked 
affectionately  over  the  field  where  her  father  was 
riding  with  a  group  of  other  men. 

"Look,  now,"  she  cried.  "That  new  man  is 
lugging  off  Dad  and  Tom,  an'  Jay  is  coming  back 
to  take  us  up  on  the  Cliffs,  just  as  he  said  he 
would." 


62  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Tad  proved  to  be  a  good  weather  prophet,  fop 
that  evening  the  moon  was  completely  obscured 
by  heavy  black  clouds.  The  girls,  weary  from 
their  excursion,  went  to  bed  early,  and  Boss  sta- 
tioned the  whole  force  of  cowboys  to  watch  in 
different  parts  of  the  field,  and  about  the  house 
and  barns. 

Two  other  cattlemen  had  arrived  at  nightfall, 
and  the  three  guests,  with  a  number  of  the  cow- 
boys, sat  in  the  oflSce  of  the  barn,  which  had  much 
the  appearance  of  the  officers^  quarters  in  a  cam- 
paign. At  the  door  outside  sat  Mr.  Hyslop  half 
buried  in  the  hay.  At  intervals  a  cowboy,  with 
an  air  of  mystery  and  some  pleasant  excitement, 
would  poke  his  head  in  at  the  door  and  with 
bated  breath  report  to  Gus,  and,  receiving  orders 
in  an  undertone,  would  dash  off  again  like  a 
small  boy  running  to  a  fire. 

Gus,  who  appeared  to  be  the  officer  of  the  day, 
was  half  sitting,  half  standing,  beside  Bill,  in  a 
careless  picturesque  attitude,  as  though  ready  to 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  63 

spring  into  action  at  the  slightest  warning.  Tom 
and  Jay  sat  at  the  other  end  of  the  table,  with 
two  others,  playing  poker.  All  were  dressed  in 
full  cowboy  fashion,  with  spurs  which  clinked  at 
every  movement.  All  were  armed  to  the  teeth, 
and  all  were  smoking.  There  were  bottles  and 
glasses  on  the  table,  upon  which  Gus  kept  a  sharp 
eye.  The  bare,  boarded  room  was  illumined  by 
the  light  of  a  single  hand  lantern,  half  obscured 
by  tobacco  smoke.  Jay^s  face  wore  its  usual 
reckless  expression,  while  Tom^s  heightened  color 
gave  his  eyes  an  unwonted  brilliancy. 

"  D — n  your  luck ! "  yelled  Harry,  as  Jay 
quietly  transferred  a  pile  of  coin  from  the  table 
to  a  small  box  by  his  side.  "  Say,  Tom,  you-all 
ought  to  be  lucky  in  love,  if  signs  are  true.'' 

"  Tom  don't  care  nothing  about  the  girls,"  said 
the  other  cowboy. 

"  I  don't  know,"  remarked  Gus  drily.  "  I 
think  he's  beginning  to  take  notice ; "  at  which 
they  all  looked  at  Tom  who  appeared  a  trifle 
annoyed. 

"  You'd  better  be  careful,  Gus,"  he  said  with 
a  steely  glitter  to  his  eyes. 

"  Never  you  mind,"  replied  that  youth  provok- 
ingly,  "  I  didn't  mention  any  names." 

"  He  won't  stand  any  chance  with  that  girl," 
went  on  Harry,  not  minding  in  the  least  Tom's 


64  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

savage  glare.  "  He's  too  big  and  handsome. 
They're  too  well  matched.  Anything  as  ideal  as 
that  never  comes  off.  A  little  peanut  like  Jay, 
now '' 

"  What  do  you  mean ! ''  roared  Jay.  "  I'm  as 
big  as  she  is." 

"  'Tain't  that,  neither,"  growled  Bill.  "  Tom's 
too  doggon  tame  for  a  girl  of  spirit." 

"Aren't  you  getting  rather  too  personal?" 
asked  Tom  with  dangerous  quietness.  "  If  we  are 
going  into  personalities,  you  might  tell  us  why 
you  are  not  drinking  anything  this  evening." 

"  I  haven't  any  special  reason,"  Bill  stam- 
mered. "  Yes,  I  have,  too,"  he  corrected.  "  I 
promised  Boss  I'd  protect  his  property  an'  if  it 
comes  to  a  show-down  I'm  ready  to  give  my  life 
for  it." 

"Even  against  Joe  Carruth?"  asked  Tom  in 
an  undertone,  gazing  in  Jay's  direction. 

"  There  won't  be  any  Joe  Carruth  here  to- 
night," Bill  muttered. 

"  How  do  you  know  that?  " 

"  Damn  you,  I  do  know  it,  and  that's  enough !  " 
he  cried,  jumping  up  with  his  hand  on  his  re- 
volver. 

"What  is  the  trouble,  my  friends?"  said  an 
oily  voice,  and,  without  the  sound  of  a  footfall, 


'Damn  you,  I  do  know  it,  and  that's  enough. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  65 

the  sleek  form  of  Sin  Killer  Jones  appeared  in 
the  doorway. 

"  I  was  about  to  call  upon  Brother  Luce  when 
I  heard  angry  voices  and  felt  it  my  duty  to  in- 
vestigate the  cause.  Oh !  my  friends,  do  I  behold 
you  with  the  DeviPs  picture  book  before  you, 
wasting  your  time  in  this  sinful  fashion?  " 

The  boys  looked  at  him  with  sarcastic  smiles. 
"This  ain't  no  camp-meetiny  sneered  one  of 
them. 

From  his  position  behind  the  hay,  Mr.  Hyslop 
muttered,  "  We  can't  ever  get  the  drop  on  them 
two,  they're  too  smart  for  us.  That  oily  hypo- 
crite can  crawl  out  of  any  hole,  but  never  you 
mind,  I'll  never  let  up  till  I  cage  'em  both." 

"  This  senseless  giggling  does  not  always  de- 
note mirth,"  continued  the  Evangelist,  gazing 
through  the  smoke  which  had  become  thicker 
than  before.  The  odor  of  both  the  lantern  and 
the  tobacco  smoke  combined  served  to  make  them 
insensible  of  a  slight  smell  of  burning  until  Mr. 
Hyslop  suddenly  called  out,  "  Fire !  Fire !  Look 
alive  there, — the  barn's  been  set  on  fire !  " 

All  sprang  to  their  feet. 

"  Outside  there !  quickly !  "  called  Gus,  "  but 
don't  ride  off  till  I  come  out.  Bill  and  Jones, 
stay  here  with  Hyslop.  Get  the  water  buckets, 
5 


66  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

quick,  boys,  it's  only  started.  Jay  and  Harry, 
go  over  to  the  house." 

"  Fire's  all  out,  Gus,"  said  Tom. 

"  Well,  you  and  I  will  get  out  into  the  field. 
We'll  catch  'em  before  they  can  get  off  with  the 
cattle.    Stay  here,  Bill,"  he  reiterated  sternly. 

"Don't  you  trust  me,  Gus?"  asked  Bill  with 
suspicious  mildness. 

"  Someone's  got  to  stay  here,"  replied  Gus 
evasively.  Then,  in  a  whisper  to  Hyslop,  he  said, 
"  Keep  'em  in  sight." 

"  You  bet !  "  was  the  emphatic  answer. 

"  Boss,  you  and  I  are  needed  here,"  called  Jay 
as  he  galloped  up  to  the  house,  for  the  old  gentle- 
man, roused  by  the  disturbance,  was  striding  out 
to  meet  them.  "  The  fire's  out  and  the  boys  are 
looking  after  things." 

"Isn't  this  terrible?"  whispered  Marian,  com- 
ing out  on  the  veranda,  where  Bess  was  plying 
Harry  with  questions. 

Jay  stood  nearby,  with  face  as  set  and  eyes  as 
stern  as  his  cousin  Tom's.  He  was  gazing  in- 
tently at  a  scattered  group  of  riders  and  cows, 
which  could  be  dimly  seen  at  a  distance  by  the 
straggling  light  of  the  moon  which  now  and  then 
pierced  through  the  clouds.  Then  shot  after  shot 
rang  out,  and  two  bullets  whizzed  by  the  veranda. 

Jay   shifted   his   position,   and   quickly    bade 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  67 

Marian  to  stand  farther  back  where  she  was  pro- 
tected bj  the  side  of  the  house.  Two  more  shots 
were  heard  and  Jay  groaned  aloud. 

"  Are  you  hurt?  "  called  out  Marian  anxiously. 

"  Not  a  bit.'^ 

"What  is  it,  then?^' 

"  I— I— Oh,  nothing,"  he  answered  huskily. 

Marian  in  her  excitement,  thrust  her  head  out 
again,  but  the  moon  had  disappeared,  and  the 
field  was  shrouded  in  darkness. 

"Go  and  see  what  has  happened,^'  she  whis- 
pered to  Jay. 

"  I  can^t  leave  my  post  to-night,'^  he  returned. 
"  You  all  go  to  bed  and  if  anyone  is  killed,  you'll 
know  it  to-morrow.'' 


68  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Early  the  next  morning  Marian  and  Jay  were 
asked  by  Uncle  Dan  to  go  on  an  important  errand 
to  Black  Mountain.  "  No  one  else  could  be 
spared/^  he  explained.  So  there  was  nothing  to 
do  but  comply  with  his  request.  The  trip  to- 
gether on  a  beautiful  morning  over  a  charming 
country  would  have  been  very  pleasing  at  any 
other  time,  but  both  were  secretly  disappointed  to 
miss  the  details  of  the  morning's  work,  and  the 
story  of  the  events  of  the  night  before.  Each  felt 
there  might  be  reasons,  not  explained,  for  choos- 
ing them  for  this  errand.  In  spite  of  this  fact  the 
ride  was  enjoyable  and  Jay's  taciturnity  vanished 
under  the  sunny  influence  of  his  companion. 
They  arrived  at  home  just  as  the  dinner-bell 
rang,  and  Marian  entering  the  hall,  overheard 
Uncle  Dan  as  he  conversed  with  one  of  the 
strangers. 

"  Jay  is  all  right,"  she  heard  him  say.  "  He's 
straight  as  a  die;  but  we  were  afraid  that  his 
rascally  brother — Oh,  Marian,''  he  added  as  he 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  69 

heard  her  light  footsteps,  "  so  you're  back.    Come 
right  in  to  dinner.     Never  mind  your  dress." 

"  Did  they  get  away  with  any  cattle  last  night, 
Gus?  ''  whispered  Jay  anxiously  as  they  sat  down 
to  the  table. 

"  No,  but  they  had  a  lot  rounded  up,  and  would 
have  got  'em  if  we  hadn't  got  there  just  as  we 
did." 

"Did— did  you  find  out  w^ho  they  were,  and 
was  anyone  killed  or  hurt?  " 

"  No !  We've  been  looking  allthe  morning,  but 
didn^t  find  anyone;  though  I  thought  I  saw  two 
men  drop  last  night." 

Jay's  brow  cleared,  and  he  heaved  a  great  sigh 
of  relief.  Tom  and  Hyslop  w^ere  still  absent,  and 
in  their  places  sat  the  two  strangers.  The  elder, 
who  had  very  black  hair  and  a  fierce  mustache, 
turned  to  Aunt  Phoebe  with  an  ingratiating  air. 
"We've  been  trying  to  make  a  bargain  with 
the  Boss  here,  for  your  cattle  before  they're  all 
stolen,"  he  said.  "  Perhaps  you  can  persuade  him 
to  be  a  bit  easier  with  us." 

"  I'm  harder  to  deal  with  than  the  old  man," 
said  Aunt  Phoebe  promptly.  "  He's  too  aristo- 
cratic to  haggle  about  prices.  I  do  most  of  the 
bossing  on  this  ranch." 

"  Keerect !  "  said  Uncle  Dan  amiably. 

"  He  supplied  the  old  family  tree,  so  he's  done 


70  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

his  share,"  went  on  the  old  lady.  "  Dan  and 
Marian's  father,  his  own  brother,  can  trace  their 
ancestry  back  through  the  royal  families  of 
France  and  England,  pretty  near  to  the  ark." 

The  cattlemen  looked  properly  awe-stricken. 

"A  regular  Apostolic  Succession  family," 
whispered  Gus  to  Marian. 

"  They  treat  all  that's  kin  to  them  like  folks, 
too,"  continued  Aunt  Phoebe,  "  and  never  put  on 
airs  over  them,  as  they  could  by  rights." 

"  You  people  ain't  spoiled  by  the  money  you've 
made,  neither,  every  one  says  that,"  returned  the 
cattleman  politely. 

"  That's  where  blood  tells,"  she  answered 
proudly.  "  Look  at  them  Packers  up  in  Jerry ! 
Triflin'  no-'count  family!  The  boys  just  make 
me  sick,  callin'  sodie  ^  soda '  an'  wearin'  jardi- 
neres  at  night,  or  pejams,  or  whatever  they  call 
them  new-fangled  things,  drink  sherry  instead  of 
good  old  moonshine  rot-gut.  They've  got  to  quit 
that  hifalutin'  nonsense  and  come  down  to  hard 
pan,  same's  the  rest  of  us,  you  just  mark  my 
words ;  now  the  old  man  is  dead  there  ain't  nary 
one  of  'em  smart  enough  to  keep  what  they've 
made,  let  alone  addin'  to  it." 

"  Kit  Packer  is  only  a  sheriff,  now,"  said  one 
of  the  men.  "  Kind  of  a  come  down,  but  he's  an 
awful  favorite  in  the  county.    If  anything  should 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  71 

happen  to  him,  there^d  be  no  rest  till  he  was 
avenged." 

The  speaker  had  addressed  this  last  remark 
to  Bill,  who  vouchsafed  no  reply. 

"  His  cousin.  Jack  Packer,  is  working  for  us,'' 
broke  in  Aunt  Phoebe.  "  He's  the  one  who  was 
hurt  last  night." 

"Hurt?"  cried  Marian,  her  eyes  dilating. 

"  Not  badly,"  broke  in  Uncle  Dan  with  a  warn- 
ing glance  at  his  wife. 

"Was  anyone  else  hurt?"  she  demanded,  in- 
tercepting the  glance. 

"  No  white  man  on  our  ranch,"  he  replied. 
"  Tom's  gone  home  to  look  after  his  place  and  he 
took  Hyslop  with  him.  S.  K.  Jones  remembered 
there  were  others  of  his  flock  who  needed  exhort- 
ing, and  when  relieved  from  duty  at  the  barn,  he 
galloped  off  as  if  the  Devil  was  after  him." 

Gus  gave  a  quick  look  at  Bill,  then  whispered 
to  Marian,  "  Tom  and  Hyslop  are  coming  back 
to-night  to  go  hunting  with  us." 

"  Remember,"  called  out  Uncle  Dan,  just  catch- 
ing the  word  "  hunting,"  "  that  the  girls  are  to 
stick  to  Jay  and  Harry.  They'll  be  responsible 
for  them  and  bring  them  back  when  they're 
tired." 

Jay  raised  his  head  with  a  look  of  pleasure, 
and  Bess,  who  had  been  very  silent  and  subdued 


72  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

throughout  the  dinner,  exchanged  a  smile  with 
Harry  which  made  Bill  glower  worse  than  ever. 

"  It's  the  ruination  of  any  Southerner  to  have 
money,''  said  Gus,  his  mind  reverting  to  the 
Packer  family.  "  Just  as  long  as  they  have  to  be, 
they  are  sober  and  industrious;  but  take  away 
the  necessity  and  may  the  Lord  help  them !  " 

"  They  have  a  great  many  charming  qualities 
to  offset  their  faults,"  remarked  Marian. 

"  Most  charming  people  ain't  no-'count  to 
work,"  said  Aunt  Phoebe  with  decision.  "  The 
Lord  seems  to  have  created  two  kinds  of  people, 
the  useful  and  the  ornamental.  The  useful  ones 
do  all  the  work,  and  wait  on  the  ornamental 
ones,"  giving  a  comprehensive  glance  at  her 
daughter. 

"  Well,  if  the  ornamental  ones  will  entertain 
and  be  good  to  us,  we'll  gladly  wait  on  them,"  in- 
terposed the  gallant  Hugh. 

"  The  trouble  is,  they  generally  walk  over  us 
an'  turn  their  noses  up  at  us,  while  we  work  our- 
selves to  death  for  them,"  added  the  new  man 
sourly. 

"  I  think  women  ought  to  run  things,"  said 
Uncle  Dan.    "  They  do  it  better'n  the  men  do." 

"  Why,  Uncle  Dan,"  laughed  Marian,  "  do  you 
believe  in  Women's  Rights?" 

"  Women's   Rights !  "   he   laughed.     "  In   this 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.      \        73 

part  of  the  country  that  sounds  funny.  You'd 
better  ask  if  I  believe  in  merits  rights.  Down  here 
the  women  are  treated  like  goddesses,  and  they 
are  perfect  tyrants.  Every  woman  ought  to  get 
married,  though,  and  have  only  one  man  to 
abuse.'' 

Aunt  Phoebe,  noting  the  embarrassment  of  the 
girls  from  the  giggling  and  furtive  glances  in 
their  direction,  turned  attention  from  them  by 
relating  one  of  her  pet  stories. 

"  It  is  perfectly  natural  for  men  and  women 
to  want  to  get  married,"  w^as  her  introductory 
platitude.  "  Did  you  ever  hear  of  the  girl  who 
was  considering  a  young  man,  and  before  she 
gave  her  final  answer,  went  to  visit  some  of  her 
married  friends  to  see  if  marriage  was  a  failure? 
The  first  one  she  visited  had  three  young  children, 
and,  her  husband  not  being  overly  smart,  she  was 
doin'  her  own  work,  sewin',  and  takin'  care  of  the 
kids  besides.  As  you  kin  imagine,  she  didn't  have 
much  time  for  visitin',  concerts,  or  this  here  men- 
tal improvement  they  talk  so  much  about  now-a- 
days," — with  a  side  glance  at  Marian. 

"  The  second  friend,"  she  continued,  "  had  a 
husband  who  was  generally  ornery,  and  the  two 
fit  most  of  the  time.  The  third's  husband  w^as  an 
old  fool  w^ho  was  rich  and  stingy,  and  never  let 
her  go  anywhere  or  have  anything.    The  fourth 


74  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

was  tryin'  to  keep  her  from  gettin'  a  divorce, 
although  he  was  running  after  everything  in 
petticoats.  Well!  She  went  home,  and  what  do 
you  think  she  did?  "  looking  at  Marian. 

"  Why !  She  broke  off  with  the  young  man  at 
once,"  was  Marian's  decided  answer. 

"  That  shows  how  little  you  know  of  human 
nature,^'  retorted  Gus. 

"Eight  you  are,  Gus,''  said  Aunt  Phoebe 
triumphantly.  "  She  told  him  she  would  be  ready 
to  marry  him  in  a  week." 

"  Oh,  hursh !  "  laughed  Tad. 

"  Sure  enough,"  answered  Aunt  Phoebe.  "  She 
reckoned  she'd  show  'em  how  to  live." 

"  All  signs  fail  in  fair  weather,"  broke  in  the 
cattleman,  leaving  the  company  to  make  their 
own  application;  then  turning  to  Marian,  he  re- 
marked, "  I  expect  they  rawhide  you  a  lot  about 
your  beaux." 

"  Oh,  you  can't  devil  a  Northerner  two  bits 
worth,"  said  Aunt  Phoebe,  rushing  to  her  assist- 
ance. "  They're  too  cool  and  collected  for  that. 
You  just  ought  to  see  Marianas  dad !  A  big,  stern 
man,  so  quiet  and  dignified  he  scares  you  half 
to  death.  He's  the  best  lawyer  in  New  York 
City." 

"  And  fought  against  us  in  the  Civil  War,  I  ex- 
pect," growled  the  other  cattleman,  who  evidently 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  75 

was  on  the  constant  lookout  for  a  grievance. 
"  God !  it  makes  me  sore  to  think  how  you  dev- 
astated our  lands,  killed  our  brothers,  and  took 
away  our  slaves,"  he  cried,  turning  to  Marian. 

"  I  didn't  do  it,''  she  answered,  surprised  at  his 
vehemence. 

"  And  I  did  all  I  could  to  prevent  it,"  spoke  up 
Uncle  Dan,  as  though  vouching  for  her  as  a  rela- 
tive. "  I  tell  you  I  couldn't  bear  the  thought 
of  being  on  the  opposite  side  to  brother  George. 
We  were  born  and  raised  in  old  Kentucky  and 
Marian's  father  was  educated  at  West  Point. 
It's  an  old  story,  too  common  to  be  interesting, 
and  it  isn't  wise  to  rake  up  quarrels." 

"  Especially  after  the  wonderful  display  of 
generosity  on  both  sides,"  broke  in  Marian  en- 
thusiastically, "a  generosity  quite  unparalleled 
in  history.  It  is  no  more  this  country  and  that 
country,  but  our  own  glorious  country,  a  united 
whole." 

"  The  rapidity  with  which  the  South  is  recov- 
ering from  its  losses,  is  certainly  unparalleled," 
went  on  Gus  proudly.  "  With  all  its  natural  re- 
sources, and  the  influx  of  Northern  capital,"  smil- 
ing at  Marian,  "  it  will  doubtless  continue  to  ad- 
vance." 

"  I  believe  that  the  South,  or  anyway,  Texas, 
has  a  brighter  future  than  any  Northern  state. 


76  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

We  Texans  can  never  forget  the  glorious  ^  One 
Star/  ''  said  one  of  the  cattlemen  stentoriously. 
"  If  it  grows  in  the  next  twenty  years  as  it  has 
in  the  last,  Boss,  it'll  sure  enough  beat  the 
record." 

"  The  old  life  went  out  when  the  railroad  came 
in,"  mused  Uncle  Dan  reminiscently.  "  Then  I 
had  to  leave  Phoebe  for  a  six  months'  drive  up  to 
Chicago.  Those  were  hard  days,  out  in  broil- 
ing sun  or  pelting  rain,  awful  thunder  or  wind- 
storms, snow  or  hail,  it  was  all  the  same.  We  had 
to  ride  on  every  day,  with  all  our  togs,  under- 
clothes, slickers,  leather  trousers,  and  all,  tied 
round  us  or  tucked  into  our  saddle  bags.  Then 
at  night  the  stories  went  round  and  the  moon- 
shine, and  the  long-winded  songs,"  and  the  old 
boys  laughed  merrily  together. 

"  W^e  had  to  take  turns  sitting  up  nights, 
armed  to  the  teeth,  sure  enough,  and  on  the  alert 
for  every  stranger  who  couldn't  or  wouldn't  give 
an  account  of  himself.  Many's  the  impromptu 
trial  and  hanging  we  had." 

"  Do  you  remember,"  asked  the  fiercely  mus- 
tached  individual  at  Uncle  Dan's  right,  "  the 
night  we  caught  the  three  cattle-thieves  up  here, 
'bout  ten  miles  above  Xantus?  WVd  been  lookin' 
for  'em  for  some  time  for  they  were  noted  crimi- 
nals.   When  w^e  got  'em  we  made  short  work  of 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  77 

'em,  you  bet!  Just  drew  'em  up  on  horseback, 
tied  the  ropes  round  their  necks  under  the  big 
tree,  and  then  licked  the  horses  up." 

"  How  terrible !  "  ejaculated  Marian  turning 
white. 

"  Well !  Why  wasn't  that  as  good  a  way  as 
any?  "  said  Gus. 

"  We  may  have  to  try  that  plan  here,  as  things 
look  now,"  growled  the  morose  stranger. 

"  Everybody  was  considered  a  suspicious  char- 
acter at  that  time,  unless  he  could  prove  himself 
otherwise,"  went  on  Uncle  Dan,  "  but  all  they 
demanded  was  that  a  man  should  show  a  clean 
record  after  landing  in  Texas." 

"  They  were  pretty  sure  to  ask,  '  What  have 
you  done  to  be  obliged  to  come  down  here?'" 
broke  in  the  other  man. 

"Well,  they  didn't  insist  on  an  answer;  if  a 
man  showed  himself  square  after  settling  here," 
laughed  Uncle  Dan.  "  You  were  too  young  to  go 
off  on  those  long  drives,  weren't  you  ?  " 

"  I  went  on  one,  only,"  was  the  answer.  "  I 
was  quite  a  kid,  though,  as  you  may  imagine. 
We  went  through  the  Indian  Territory.  It  was 
awful  hot  weather,  and  one  night,  as  I  was  taking 
my  turn  lying  down  to  sleep, — for  you  see,"  he 
explained  turning  to  Marian,  "  we  rounded  up  at 
night,  and  half  the  boys  sat  up  all  night  on  horse- 


78  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

back,  round  the  big  circle  of  cattle,  as  they've 
got  to  to-night,  and  the  other  half  slept  on  the 
ground, — well,  as  I  was  saying,  as  I  was  lying 
there  I  was  surrounded  by  DeviPs  horses.'^ 

"What's  a  DeviPs  horse?"  interrupted 
Marian. 

"  A  great  big,  old  green  bug  that  looks  like 
a  live  sawhorse,  with  a  head  like  a  giraffe  and 
purple  eyes  that  turn  on  a  pivot.  Folks  said  as 
how  their  bite  was  deadly  poison.  That  night  I 
was  covered  with  'em,  and  kept  brushing  'em  off 
as  gently  as  I  could  for  fear  they  would  bite  me. 
I  can  tell  you  I  put  in  an  awful  night.  I  never 
expected  to  see  the  light  of  another  daj^  Since 
then  I've  heard  that  they  weren't  poisonous  at 
all." 

"  As  a  matter  of  fact  they  never  bite  anyone," 
said  Uncle  Dan ;  "  but  they  scare  you  into  a 
spasm  just  to  look  at  'em,  but  come,  let's  go  out 
on  the  veranda.  We've  sot  here  long  enough, 
and  then  we've  got  to  get  things  ready  to  hunt 
for  that  dead  greaser  to-night." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  79 


CHAPTER   IX. 

That  night  the  moon  rose  clear  and  bright  in 
an  unclouded  sky,  illuminating  the  fields  till  they 
were  nearly  as  light  as  day.  The  twelve  expert 
riders,  seated  firmly  on  their  prancing  steeds  and 
surrounded  by  the  yelping  hounds,  made  a  fine 
picture  and  one  which  appealed  strongly  to 
Marian's  artistic  nature.  She  felt  as  if  she  were 
in  a  dream,  and  at  any  moment  the  scene  before 
her  would  vanish  from  sight. 

"What  do  you  expect  to  catch?"  she  asked 
Jay,  as  he  advanced  to  greet  her. 

"  Oh,  foxes,  wolves,  possums,  and  jackrabbits," 
he  answered  gaily. 

"  You  notice  that  he  speaks  of  them  all  in  the 
plural,'^  laughed  Tom.  "  It  won't  surprise  me  at 
all  if  we  don't  see  a  beast  of  any  kind.'' 

"  I  don't  know  why  not,"  retorted  Jay.  "  I'll 
get  that  old  fox  that's  been  living  on  my  chickens, 
or  I'll  bust  somethino:." 

At  that  same  moment,  Hyslop,  who  was  one  of 
the  party,  remarked  to  Gus  in  an  undertone, 


80  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  It's  just  as  I  expected ;  Picarda's  off  again,  and 
old  S.  K.  has  evaporated,  and  Tyro,  the  only  de- 
cent Greaser  on  the  place,  is  missing." 

"  Dead?  '^  asked  Gus  shortly. 

"  I  fear  so,  but  Packer's  all  right.  He  was  just 
grazed  by  the  bullet.  I'm  a  little  bit  shy  of  Jay, 
and  Tom  won't  help  us  against  Joe,  though  he'll 
do  anything  else  he  can.  I  don't  blame  him  for 
that,  either.  He's  his  cousin,  if  he  is  a  lowdown 
cuss." 

The  party  started  off  in  high  spirits,  and  a 
daring  ride  it  proved  to  be,  through  the  roughest 
kind  of  country,  over  fords  and  ditches  and 
stones.  Marian,  afraid  to  ride  as  fast  as  the  rest, 
lagged  behind  a  little,  guarded  carefully  by  the 
faithful  Tom  and  the  persistent  Jay ;  but,  in  spite 
of  her  confidence  in  their  watchfulness,  she  often 
clung  desperately  to  the  pommel  of  her  saddle,  as 
the  horse  climbed  a  steep  incline  in  the  moon- 
light. 

"  Hist ! "  said  the  voice  of  one  of  the  hunters, 
and  instantly  every  horse  was  reined  in,  and 
every  one  was  on  the  alert  as  the  hounds  with  one 
accord  bounded  forward,  baying  deeply;  then 
followed  a  series  of  angry  growls  in  the  distance, 
then  a  wild,  almost  human  scream. 

Bess  galloped  off  in  the  direction  of  the  dis- 
turbance, followed  by  most  of  the  hunters. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  81 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  any  poor  animal  killed," 
said  Marian  reining  in  her  horse. 

"  I  do,  if  it^s  that  fox  that's  been  eating  up  my 
chickens,"  and  Jay  hurried  off  after  the  rest  of 
the  company. 

"  I've  killed  three  rattlers,  and  am  tanning  the 
skins  for  you,  Miss  Marian,"  said  Tom,  drawing 
nearer  to  her. 

"  Thank  you  so  much,"  murmured  the  girl  feel- 
ing a  little  self-conscious. 

"  They  are  getting  right  plenty  down  here 
now,"  he  continued.  "  You're  liable  to  see  one 
most  any  time.  We'll  have  to  turn  some  hogs 
into  the  pastures." 

Marian  curled  up  her  feet,  and  looked  down  at 
the  ground  apprehensively. 

At  this  moment  Bess  came  galloping  back, 
wearing  a  long  fox  tail  in  her  hat. 

"  Marian,"  she  called,  "  I  want  to  talk  to  you  a 
bit.    Come  alongside  of  me." 

"  I  just  wanted  to  get  rid  of  him  for  a  mo- 
ment," she  said  noting  Tom's  look  of  annoyance. 
"  Don't  you  be  scared  now,  but  they  found  Tyro 
dead  in  the  bushes.  I  suppose  you'll  want  to  go 
back  home,  won't  you?  " 

''  Yes,  indeed.    Let's  go  at  once,"  and  Marian 
shivered. 
6 


82  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  I'll  speak  to  Harry  and  Jay, — or  would  you 
rather  have  Tom  take  you  back?" 

"  I  don't  care.  Only  let's  go  at  once.  I  want 
to  get  home  as  quickly  as  possible.  You  see  I'm 
a  bit  of  a  tenderfoot  jety^^  and  she  smiled  faintly. 

Just  then  Harry  and  Jay  rode  up  to  the  girls 
and  the  reluctant  Tom  was  obliged  to  yield  to 
Hyslop's  impatient  call,  and  gallop  in  the  other 
direction. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  83 


CHAPTER   X. 

"  Stop,  thief ! "  rang  out  a  boyish  voice  as  a 
horse  and  rider  dashed  by  him  in  the  darkness. 

"  I'd  know  that  voice  in  the  darkest  night, 
Walt,''  called  Jay,  reining  in  the  horse  so  sud- 
denly that  he  reared.  "  I've  just  got  back  from 
Xantus  and  am  hurrying  to  get  home  before  my 
horse  drops  dead.  You're  a  smart  little  cuss  to 
know  me  so  quick  in  the  dark,"  he  added  affec- 
tionately. 

"  Say,  Walt,"  he  said,  as  if  moved  by  some  sud- 
den thought,  "  are  you  still  stuck  on  that  new 
girl  over  at  Luce's?  " 

"  No,"  answered  Walter  laconically. 

"  That's  right !  Leave  her  for  Tom  and  me  to 
fight  over,"  went  on  Jay. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  I  mean  what  I  say,  and  you  tell  Tom  I  said 
so." 

"  You'd  better  tell  him  yourself ;  but  you  don't 
think  you  can  scare  Tom,  do  you?  " 

"  We'd    better    talk    it    over    together,    sure 


84  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

enough,"  said  Jay,  leaning  over  the  side  of  his 
horse. 

"  I  should  think  it  would  be  more  to  the  point 
to  talk  it  over  with  the  girl;  or  isn't  she  going 
to  have  anything  to  say  about  it?  It's  my  opin- 
ion she  wouldn't  have  either  of  you, — leastways, 
not  yet.    Tom  says  that  himself." 

"  So  you-all  have  been  discussing  it,  you  dog- 
gon  little  ninny  you !  "  roared  Jay,  straightening 
himself  up,  while  Walter  jumped  back  in  aston- 
ishment, and  said  to  himself,  "  He's  drunk." 

"  I'll  wear  you  out  directly,"  Jay  ejaculated, 
addressing  the  impatient  horse,  then  struck  him 
over  the  head  and  held  him  tightly  with  the  reins 
as  he  reared  almost  perpendicularly.  "  You  tell 
Tom,"  he  called  back,  as  the  horse's  feet  came 
down  to  earth,  and  the  animal  dashed  forward 
into  the  darkness,  leaving  Walter  once  more 
alone. 

"  He  must  have  heard  bad  news  in  Xantus," 
the  boy  mused  with  trouble  in  his  heart. 

"  Hi,  there !  "  called  a  startled  voice.  "  We 
near  had  a  concussion,  sah,"  and  Nigger  Ned 
drew  rein.  "  Dere  are  a  couple  ob  hoss  thieves 
supposed  to  be  a  lurkin'  in  this  remedyate  vicin- 
ity," went  on  the  darky,  "  an  I  was  commanded 
to  go  in  search  ob  you.  Ma  dog  has  been  sniffin' 
wid  his  ole  probiscus  in  th'  air  all  de  ebenin'  an' 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  85 

it^s  my  belief  he  smells  a  rat  or  a  hoss  thief  some- 
where's.  A  party  has  been  organized  to  sleep  out 
of  dos  an'  another  possum  to  guard  de  house. 
Miss  Marian  'lows  she'll  hab  a  six  shooter  on  her 
dresser,  an'  Miss  Bess  she's  gone  all  ter  pieces." 

"That  isn't  a  bit  like  Bess,  is  it,  Ned?  She's 
got  more  nerve  than  any  girl  I  ever  knew. 
Where's  Bill?  "  he  demanded,  a  sudden  suspicion 
crossing  his  mind. 

"  Still  in  Xantus.  Drunk,  I  specs,"  said  the 
old  man  briefly. 

"  And  Jay's  been  drinking,  too.  Do  you  reckon 
Jay  knows  anything  about  Joe,  Ned?  " 

"  I'm  satisfied  he  ain't  no  ways  aware  of  his 
present  location,  and  he  don't  want  ter  be.  He 
was  too  drunk  to  think  about  anything  but  Miss 
Marian.  Marse  Tom  sent  me  over  to  get  'em  to 
put  him  to  bed,  an'  see  that  things  are  tended  to. 
Mr.  Jay  was  boun'  to  find  out  where  Mr.  Joe  was. 
He  does  love  him,  sure  enough,  an'  Mr.  Bill,  he 
just  made  him  drunk  to  steer  him  off.  Marse 
Tom's  hurryin'  home  from  the  Luce's  now,  an' 
he  wants  you  to  git  too.  There's  enough  there 
without  you.  Boss  says,  an'  you're  needed  at 
home." 

At  these  words  Walter  dashed  off  without 
further  parley. 

At  the  Luce  ranch,  all  was  excitement.    "  You 


86  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

must  sleep  with  me,  to-night,  Marian,"  moaned 
the  trembling  Bess,  clinging  to  her  cousin.  "  I'm 
just  sure  Joe's  comin'  to  kill  me." 

"  Nonsense ! "  said  Marian  consolingly,  her 
courage  rising  as  she  felt  her  cousin's  need  of  her. 
"  It  isn't  Joe,  Bess,  it's  only  a  horse  thief." 

"  Only  a  horse  thief !  "  gasped  the  girl.  "  Don't 
you  know  what  that  means?  It  is  a  man  who  is 
running  away  from  justice,  and  who's  trying  to 
steal  a  horse  to  get  away  faster — to  Mexico, 
South  America,  or  any  old  place,  out  of  the  way 
of  the  law.  A  man  who's  probably  up  for  mur- 
der and  would  shoot  you  quicker'n  '  scat,'  rather 
than  be  taken.  Never  dare  to  go  off  any  long  dis- 
tance by  yourself  while  you  are  down  here,  Mar- 
ian." 

"  All  right.  But,  Bess,  I  never  expected  to  see 
you  afraid  of  anything." 

"You  don't  know, — Oh,  you  don't  know! 
Where's  father?  "  moaned  Bess. 

Marian  listened  intently,  but  there  was  no 
sound  except  the  beating  of  her  heart,  and  her 
cousin's  low  moans. 

"  What  did  your  husband  do,  Bess?  ehe  whis- 
pered. 

"  Oh,  nothing  much,"  Bess  returned,  raising 
her  head  with  an  attempt  at  calmness.  Then 
with  sudden  impetuosity,  "  I'll  tell  you,  Marian. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  87 

He's  killed  several  men,  for  one  reason  or  an- 
other, then  capped  the  climax  by  forging  a  note. 
The  man  found  it  out,  and  was  going  to  have  him 
up  for  it,  when  he  suddenly  disappeared.  Now 
he's  a  regular  outlaw  and  thief;  the  most  danger- 
ous one  in  this  country.  Me  and  Bill  are  the  only 
ones  who  can  give  him  away.  Don't  ask  me  how. 
He  has  reason  to  trust  Bill,  but  I  left  him  when 
I  found  out  how  bad  he  was.  He^s  afraid  of  me, 
and  he's  mad  at  my  leaving  him,  and  he  swears 
he'll  kill  me  if  I  look  at  another  man,  though  I've 
got  a  divorce,  all  right.  Don't  you  suspect  Jay 
of  any  wrong.  He's  innocent  of  it  all,  but  he 
does  love  Joe,  who  is  the  only  one  left  to  him  of 
his  family." 

Marian  had  hardly  thought  of  either  Tom  or 
Jay  that  evening  but  with  a  start  came  the 
thought  which  had  occurred  to  Water,  "  Did  Jay 
know  anything  about  his  brother,  and  if  so,  would 
he  protect  him?  " 

By  this  time,  Bess  had  grown  much  calmer; 
pushing  the  heavy  hair  back  from  her  face,  she 
crossed  over  the  window  and  looked  out. 

"  Come,  honey,  we'll  go  to  bed,"  she  said ;  and 
gradually  they  went  to  sleep  and  slept  until  the 
early  morning  hours,  when  they  were  awakened 
by  voices  under  the  window. 

"  Anybody  dead  this  mawnin',  boys?  " 


88  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"No  shootin'?" 

"  Nary  bit." 

"Thank  God!" 

"  We  guarded  you  with  our  lives,  Boss,"  called 
Gus,  galloping  up.  "  Not  a  peeper  did  we  close, 
but  not  a  sound  did  we  hear." 

"  How  is  it  at  the  Carruths?  " 

"  All  serene,  but  Nigger  Ned  said  '  Snorter ' 
and  ^  Sneezer '  had  gone  from  the  field." 

At  this  intelligence  a  loud  laugh  greatly  re- 
lieved the  tension  in  the  minds  of  the  two  girls. 

"  That's  one  on  old  Jay.  How's  his  head  this 
mawnin'?  Serves  him  right!  Nobody  can  look 
after  your  place  as  you  can  yourself." 

"  Say,"  said  Uncle  Dan  thoughtfully  to  Gus, 
"  how  did  it  happen  Jay  had  his  two  best  bosses 
out  in  the  field?  Pretty  discriminating  horse 
thieves  in  their  selection,  to  take  the  two  fastest 
horses  in  all  the  country  round,"  and  he  shook 
his  head  dubiously.  "  All  right  up  to  May- 
berry's?"  he  asked. 

"  Yep.  May's  just  got  back.  Said  it  was  too 
poor  pickin's  up  to  their  place,  for  the  thieves 
even  to  call  and  pay  their  respects." 

Wild  Bill,  looking  more  unkempt  than  ever, 
and  evidently  half  drunk,  galloped  up^  closely 
followed  by  the  sheriff. 


.r^^^Ivf^.. 


fi  <  1  f'  "^ 


'VK 


^i  '^       -i  •'■ 


**Say/'  said  Uncle  Dan,    "pretty  discriminatin'  horse  thieves.'* 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  89 

"Why,  Bill,  I  thought  you'd  reformed," 
laughed  Gus. 

"  I  reckon  you'd  take  a  little  to  brace  you  up  if 
you'd  been  chasin'  round  after  a  horse  thief  all 
night,"  growled  Bill. 

"  We're  going  after  Tom  and  Jay  to  take  Bill's 
place,"  the  sheriff  informed  them.  "  Bill's  tired, 
and  Tom's  the  best  man  in  the  country  for  that 
kind  of  business.  He'll  keep  his  head  on  him," 
and  he  glanced  with  contempt  at  Bill. 

"  You  can't  get  Jay — he's  in  bed  with  a  raging 
fever,"  explained  Walter. 

"  Very  convenient  fever,"  sneered  the  sheriff. 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  What  I  ain't  telling,  young  man,"  returned 
the  sheriff,  "  but  now  I'll  go  after  Tom." 

"  Tom  says  you  can  do  what  you  like  to  him, 
but  he  won't  have  any  hand  in  the  capture  of 
Jay's  brother,"  continued  Walter. 

Bill  looked  pleased,  and  the  sheriff  roared, 
"Who  said  anything  about  Jay's  brother?" 

"  *  Thus  conscience  doth  make  cowards  of  us 
all,' "  quoted  Gus. 

"You  can't  call  Tom  a  coward,"  said  Walter 
turning  to  him  angrily.  "  Many's  the  time  he's 
risked  his  life  for  just  this  sort  of  thing,  as  you 
all  know." 

"  Gus  didn't  mean  Tom  was  a  coward,"  inter- 


90  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

posed  Uncle  Dan  gently.  "  We  all  know  better, 
but  I  think  he  has  a  wrong  idea  of  duty.'' 

"  Tom'll  have  to  testify  when  he's  brought  to 
trial,"  broke  in  the  sheriff  obstinately. 

"  He  ain't  caught  yet,"  snarled  Bill  with  a 
look  of  defiance.  "  I  s'pose  I'll  have  to  keep  on 
with  you  if  you  can't  get  no  one  else." 

"  Oh,  I  almost  forgot,"  he  added,  turning  to 
Uncle  Dan.  "  The  yellow  fever  is  raging  at  San 
Antonio.  Piper  and  Irving  "  (two  boys  who  had 
been  sent  there  on  business  the  w^eek  before) 
were  ordered  out  two  days  ago,  but  they  stayed 
to  the  roping  contest,  'lowing  they  could  get  out, 
quarantine  or  no  quarantine.  Orders  were  given 
to  shoot  anyone  caught  leavin'  the  city,  and  Piper 
got  shot  in  the  leg  trying  to  crawl  out  through 
the  bushes.  Irving's  got  the  yellar  fever,  and 
they're  both  in  a  bad  way,  as  there  ain't  enough 
nusses  to  go  round." 

Bill  waved  his  hand  and  galloped  after  the  de- 
parting sheriff. 

Marian  clasped  her  hands  together,  feeling  her 
brain  reel  with  the  swift  events,  and  wishing  her- 
self back  in  her  own  safe,  quiet  home. 

"  Do  you  know  what  I  think,  Gus?  "  she  over- 
heard her  uncle  say  in  a  tone  of  deep  concern. 
"  I  think  Piper'n  Irving  stayed  for  something 
more  important  than  roping  contests." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  91 


CHAPTER  XL 

For  three  days  after  the  yellow  fever  scare  in 
San  Antonio  Aunt  Phoebe  had  daily  fumigated 
the  house  and  all  the  inhabitants  thereof  with 
sulphur,  and  had  furthermore  ordered  each  mem- 
ber to  wear  around  his  neck  a  small  piece  of 
asafedita.  One  cold  norther  would  be  enough  to 
kill  it,  and  this  third  morning  the  household 
awoke  to  find  it  full  upon  them. 

"  Yellow  fever'll  die  a  natural  death  if  this 
keeps  up,"  remarked  Aunt  Phoebe  at  breakfast. 

"  So  will  the  rest  of  us,"  laughed  Gus  as  the 
boys  huddled  around  the  stove  and  blew  on  their 
cold  fingers. 

"Why,  this  isn^t  cold,''  exclaimed  Marian. 
"  One  would  think  it  was  below  zero  to  hear  the 
fuss  you're  making.  I  thought  we  were  never 
going  to  have  any  winter ;  now  I  suppose  it's  set 
in  for  good." 

"  No,  not  what  you  would  call  winter,"  said 
Gus.  "  We  shall  have  this  norther  for  a  day  or 
two,  then  it  will  come  out  hot  as  ever.  The  roses 
will  still  bloom  and  the  fleas  still  bite.    One  suf- 


92  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

fers  more  in  Texas,  however,  when  it  is  moder- 
ately cold,  than  jou  do  in  zero  weather  up  North. 
You  see  the  houses  are  so  thin,  with  no  plaster- 
ing; then  our  blood  is  thin.  You  would  laugh  to 
see  the  people  when  the  thermometer  goes  down 
to  thirty,  all  bundled  up  to  the  chin,  as  if  they 
were  in  the  Arctic  region." 

"  But  then  in  our  winter,''  broke  in  Hugh,  not 
willing  to  have  Gus  take  too  much  of  Marian's 
attention,  "  we're  liable  at  any  time  to  have  sud- 
den changes.  Why !  I've  known  sweat  to  freeze 
right  on  my  face." 

"  That  is  remarkable.  Evidently  the  climate 
partakes  of  the  Southern  temperament,''  said 
Marian  much  amused. 

"How's  yer  Honey,  now,  Miss  Marian?" 
drawled  Bill. 

"  Which  one?  "  inquired  Gus,  "  Tom  or  Jay?  " 

"  Oh !  Tom's  lost  out  altogether,"  laughed 
Hugh. 

"  I  have  a  great  regard  for  both  of  them " 
answered  Marian  lifting  her  head  with  dignity. 
"  They  both  know  that  my  liking  is  merely  a 
friendly  one,  and  they  have  no  desire  to  have  it 
otherwise." 

"  Oh,  we're  all  satisfied  of  that,"  sneered  Bill. 

"  P'raps  you'd  like  to  beat  their  time,"  spoke 
up  one  of  the  smaller  boys. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  93 

"  You  kids  need  squelching,"  snarled  Bill, 
glaring  at  them,  "and  that  reminds  me — Jay 
says  if  you  turn  his  saddle  again,  or  play  any 
more  fool  tricks,  Boss'll  need  another  hand  or 
two  right  soon.  He's  goin'  to  watch  out  fer 
you." 

"What  does  Tom  find  to  talk  about  with 
you?"  pursued  Bill,  w^hen  the  laugh  had  sub- 
sided. "  He's  mighty  bashful  w^ith  girls,  and 
ain't  no  great  talker  anyhow." 

"  He  is  a  very  intelligent  man,"  replied  the  girl 
seriously.  "  I  have  never  found  him  at  loss  for 
a  subject  of  conversation." 

"  Now,  Bill,  if  you've  got  through  asking  ques- 
tions, you  might  answer  a  few,"  broke  in  Hugh, 
noting  Marian's  embarrassment.  "  Where'd  you 
get  that  durned  little  purp  you  brought  home 
with  you  after  Joe  Carruth's  escape?  " 

"  It  belonged  to  the  sheriff,"  he  answered 
curtly. 

"  If  Tom  had  gone  along  instead  of  you,  Joe 
wouldn't  have  escaped,"  volunteered  Hugh. 

"  Nor  Bill  neither,"  sneered  Jack  Packer. 

"  What  in  H — 11  do  you  mean  by  that? " 
thundered  Bill,  jumping  up  in  wrath. 

"  I  mean  that  my  cousin.  Kit  Packer,  would 
not  have  been  killed,"  answered  Jack  calmly, 
looking  the  infuriated  man  square  in  the  eye. 


94  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  You'll  take  that  back !  '^  yelled  Bill  whipping 
out  his  six-shooter. 

Marian  sprang  to  her  feet,  feeling  an  impulse 
to  rush  in  between  the  combatants,  and  prevent 
bloodshed. 

"  Come  outside,"  said  Jack,  glancing  at  her, 
"  and  we'll  settle  this." 

"  No !  you  don't  either  of  you  leave  this  room 
till  you've  shook  hands,"  called  out  Aunt  Phoebe 
with  decision.  "  Such  a  scene  as  this  in  the  house 
of  one  of  the  best  families  in  Texas!  It's  dis- 
graceful. You've  got  to  take  it  back.  Jack — I 
can't  spare  you.  Then  you  know  they  want  you 
for  sheriff.  Do  as  I  tell  you,  and  don't  be  fool- 
ish." 

"How  can  I  take  it  back?" 

'"  'Cause,  Jack,"  interposed  his  friend  Fritz, 
"  it's  a  thing  you've  no  right  to  say,  when  you 
ain't  sure.    You  can't  hint  a  man's  a  murderer, 
'thout  someone  saw  it  done." 

"  Well !  "  replied  Jack  grudgingly,  "  I'll  take 
it  back  and  ask  your  pardon.  Bill ; "  and  he  held 
out  his  hand. 

"  All  right,"  mumbled  Bill,  stalking  out  of  the 
room  without  touching  the  proffered  hand. 

"  He'll  never  forgive  you  for  that,"  said  Aunt 
Phoebe  sadly.  "  You're  an  awful  good  boy.  Jack, 
but  you  never  could  hold  your  tongue  and  in  this 
country  that's  a  mighty  dangerous  thing." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  95 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  Nigger  Ned  is  at  the  door,"  announced  Bill, 
re-entering  the  room.  "  He  brought  in  the  mail, 
and  a  bunch  of  assorted  news.  Irving  died  last 
night  of  the  fever.  Piper  is  getting  well.  One 
of  Joe's  pals  is  caught;  he's  to  be  tried  right 
away,  and  either  Bess,  Tom,  or  Jaj,  or  perhaps 
all  three,  have  got  to  go  and  testify.  Pm  sus- 
pected of  having  had  a  hand  in  the  death  of  the 
sheriff, — but  before  God!  boys,  I  swear  I  didn't 
kill  him. — Miles  Kyle  is  the  new  sheriff,  but  cheer 
up.  Jack,  sheriffs  are  short  lived  in  this  country." 

"  Picarda !  "  muttered  Gus. 

"You  must  ride  over  to  the  Mayberrys  and 
take  a  letter  to  Tom  from  Dad,"  Bess  whispered 
to  Marian  with  white  lips.  "  It  may  mean  life  or 
death  to  me." 

Marian  put  her  arm  round  her  cousin  and  led 
her  from  the  room,  wondering  in  her  heart  what 
she  ought  to  do. 

"Will  you  go,  Marian?"  said  Bess,  stopping 
and  looking  fixedly  at  her. 

"  Yes,  if  you  will  go  with  me." 


96  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  And  will  you  beg  Tom  to  testify  in  my  place? 
He  would  do  it  if  you  asked  him.'^ 

Marian  hesitated.  Was  it  not  putting  him  in 
great  peril?  "  No,"  she  answered  after  a  mo- 
ment's thought.  "  I  will  go  with  you  but  cannot 
take  the  responsibility  of  influencing  him  either 
way,  even  if  I  felt  sure  that  I  could.'' 

"  I  reckon  we'd  better  drive  over,"  urged  Bess, 
knowing  that  her  cousin's  firmness  would  make 
any  pleading  useless,  "  then  we  can  take  the 
things  Maw  has  been  wantin'  to  send  over  to  Mrs. 
Mayberry." 

The  norther  was  not  as  cold  as  it  had  threat- 
ened to  be,  and  Marian  felt  that  weather  was 
quite  mild  when  she  and  Bess  started  out  in  a 
small  run-about  with  a  pair  of  young,  half-broken 
horses.  Bess  being  a  skilful  horse-woman,  and  as 
strong  as  a  man,  Marian  felt  perfectly  safe  in 
her  hands. 

"  I'd  never  dare  drive  those  horses  alone,"  she 
said,  noting  with  admiration  her  cousin's  dexter- 
ous driving. 

"  No,  I  reckon  not,"  answered  Bess  absent- 
mindedly. 

They  forded  the  river  and  Marian  alighted  once 
or  twice  to  open  and  shut  gates,  for  in  the  pres- 
ent cattle  country  there  are  many  rivers  to  ford, 
and  many  gates. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  97 

They  had  reached  the  third  pasture,  where  the 
boys  were  busy  rounding  up  the  cattle  for  the  in- 
spection of  the  cattlemen  who  were  to  arrive  in 
a  day  or  two.  They  had  already  been  several  days 
collecting  them  for  miles  around,  and  now  all 
that  were  needed  were  in  the  third  pasture. 

"  Mornin',  ladies,'^  drawled  a  gentle  voice,  and 
the  gallant  Harry,  from  Jay's  ranch,  now  recog- 
nized by  all  as  Bess's  sweetheart,  rode  up  to  the 
carriage. 

"  Oh,  Harry !  "  cried  Bess.  "  I'm  in  a  heap  of 
trouble." 

"  Well,  get  up  behind  me  here  and  tell  me  all 
about  it,"  said  he  sympathetically. 

"  Yes,  I  will,  and  you  can  take  me  home.  Mar- 
ian, you  can  go  on  easily  from  here,  alone,"  said 
Bess,  glad  to  escape  interviewing  Tom. 

"  But  I  don't  dare  drive  these  horses.  I  can't 
do  it,  Bess." 

"  Oh,  yes  you  can,  girlie  dear, — there's  noth- 
ing round  here  to  scare  'em,"  and  before  Marian 
could  remonstrate  further,  Bess  leaped  into  the 
saddle  behind  Harry  and  they  were  gone. 

There  was  nothing  to  do  but  continue  the 
journey  alone,  and  with  mingled  indignation  and 
fear  Marian  took  up  the  reins  and  drove  on,  her 
gaze  riveted  apprehensively  upon  the  horses' 
heads.  All  went  well  for  a  time,  then  a  bull  took 
7 


98  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

it  into  his  head  to  give  a  loud  bellow  which 
startled  both  Marian  and  the  horses.  Away  went 
the  frightened  animals,  heads  erect,  snorting  like 
angry  bulls  themselves,  over  little  mounds  and 
valleys,  the  carriage  swaying  with  imminent 
danger  of  upsetting,  while  Marian  grasped  a  rein 
in  each  hand  and  pulled  vigorously.  At  first  she 
was  in  deadly  fear,  but  as  the  horses  rushed  on, 
fear  gave  place  to  a  certain  wild  exhilaration. 
The  horses  gave  no  indication  of  lessening  their 
break-neck  speed,  when  she  heard  the  sound  of 
galloping  hoofs  behind  her  and  a  voice  cried  out, 
"  Get  in  front,  there,  and  grab  their  heads ! " 
Half  turning,  but  still  pulling  back  on  the 
reins,  Marian  saw  ten  or  more  cowboys  coming 
on  at  a  flying  gallop,  lying  nearly  flat  on  their 
horses  as  they  leant  forward  urging  them  to 
their  utmost  speed.  As  might  have  been  expected 
this  had  the  effect  of  still  further  frightening  the 
runaways.  Marian  tried  to  shout,  "  Keep  back, 
you  only  make  them  worse ! "  but  she  doubted  if 
they  heard  her.  Standing  erect  in  the  carriage, 
she  grasped  the  reins  even  more  tightly  and 
leaned  back  with  her  whole  weight.  The  horses, 
unable  to  bear  the  strain  of  the  curb-bit,  reared 
and  backed,  and  at  the  same  moment  Jay  Car- 
ruth,  who  had  reached  the  side  of  the  carriage, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  99 

threw  his  bridle  rein  to  the  nearest  man  and 
sprang  into  the  rocking  vehicle. 

"  Brave  girl ! ''  he  said,  taking  the  reins  from 
her  soft  hands  which  were  already  bruised  with 
the  hard  leather.  '^  You  certainly  were  brave, 
Miss  Marian,"  he  reiterated,  looking  with  admira- 
tion at  her  heightened  color  and  the  wavy  ring- 
lets of  her  hair.  "  I  expected  a  city  girl  would 
faint  dead  away,  or  have  hysterics,  if  she  got  run 
away  with. — Steady  there,  boys!  Don't  you  try 
to  cut  up  any  more  capers  or  I'll  wear  you  out ! — 
You  feeling  all  right  now.  Miss  Marian?  " 

"  Yes,  indeed !  '^  she  answered  with  a  nervous 
little  laugh.  "  But  I'm  glad  you  came  along  just 
as  you  did." 

"So  am  I;  but  how  did  it  all  happen?  Why 
did  you-all  try  to  drive  these  young  bronchos? 
They  ought  not  to  have  let  you." 

Marian  explained  the  circumstances  and  Jay 
looked  very  sober. 

"  That's  just  like  Bess,"  he  murmured. 

At  the  next  gate  stood  Picarda,  looking  as  if 
he  had  never  done  a  day's  work  in  his  life  and 
never  meant  to,  as  is  the  manner  of  Mexicans. 

"  Open  that  gate !  "  shouted  Jay. 

"  Me  no  understand,"  grinned  the  man. 

"Well,  you  understand  this,  don't  you?"  and 
Jay  drew  his  six-shooter. 


100  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

The  man  turned  and  lazily  walked  toward  the 
gate,  w^hich  he  opened  and  then  closed  after  them. 

"  Now  understand  this,  too,''  continued  Jay. 
"  Here's  two  bits  and  here's  the  gun.  If  you 
want  the  money,  get  up  on  your  old  bag  of  bones 
and  come  along ;  if  not — "  and  he  held  up  his  gun 
threateningly. 

The  Mexican  made  no  reply  in  words,  but 
swung  himself  gracefully  into  the  saddle  and 
ambled  along. 

"  Look  at  that  horse's  tail — all  stuck  up  with 
cockle-burs,"  laughed  Jay.  "  The  lazy  deviPd 
have  him  all  covered  like  St.  Sebastian  before 
he'd  pick  one  of  'em  off."  Then  as  he  still 
eyed  the  odd  little  rider  and  his  nag,  Jay's  ex- 
pression gradually  changed  to  one  of  concern. 
"  I  wonder  what  he  stuck  himself  there  for,''  he 
mused,  half  aloud.  Then  turning  to  Marian  he 
added,  "  He  was  bound  he  wouldn't  budge,  too, 
wasn't  he?  "  w^hereupon  a  short  conversation  in 
Spanish  ensued,  haughtily  imperative  on  the  one 
hand  and  sullen  on  the  other. 

"  He's  decided  to  go  all  the  way  with  us,"  Jay 
finally  informed  his  companion ;  then  added,  "  I 
want  him  under  my  eye." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  101 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Mrs.  Ma'yberry  and  her  two  sons  were  in  the 
garden  together  when  Marian  and  Jay  appeared, 
followed  by  the  Mexican.  While  the  two  ladies 
were  exchanging  enthusiastic  greetings,  the  men 
were  engaged  in  leading  away  the  indignantly 
protesting  Greaser.  The  boys  reappeared,  how- 
ever, to  welcome  their  guest  who  then,  remember- 
ing her  errand,  handed  her  uncle's  letter  to  Tom. 
He  read  it  silently,  then  passed  it  to  his  mother. 

"  Jay,''  he  said  earnestly,  clasping  his  cousin's 
hand  impulsively,  "  it  will  be  a  terrible  thing  for 
me  to  testify  against  Joe,  but  it  had  better  be  me 
than  you." 

"  I  understand  that,  old  pal,"  answered  Jay 
huskily.  "As  for  me,  I  wouldn't  do  it  if  they 
killed  me;  but — "  and  his  face  brightened, 
"neither  of  us  will  have  it  to  do,  Tom.  He'll 
never  be  caught,  he  has  too  many  friends  about 
here." 

"  Oh,  I  earnestly  hope  for  the  sake  of  you  all, 
that  it  will  turn  out  so,"  cried  Marian.     "  I 


102  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

couldn't  bear  to  have  anything  happen  to  any 
of  you.  I  wish  my  father  were  here,  he'd  know 
just  what  to  do." 

"  I'll  bet  he's  all  right/'  declared  Jay  with 
enthusiasm.  "  Say !  how  many  men  has  he 
killed?" 

Marian  was  obliged  to  admit  that  in  that  re- 
spect he  was  not  up  to  their  standard. 

"  I  reckon  I'll  go  up  there  and  get  him  to 
make  a  lawyer  of  me,"  said  he.  "  Do  you  think 
he  would  like  me.  Miss  Marian?" 

"  I  am  sure  of  it,"  she  answered,  blushing. 

"  And  me?  "  said  Tom  in  a  lower  tone,  with  a 
meaning  look. 

Marian  was  spared  an  answer  by  Mrs.  May- 
berry  :  "  Don't  ask  any  more  foolish  questions, 
boys.    Come  and  see  my  garden,  Miss  Marian." 

"  After  all,"  murmured  Walter  to  her,  as  they 
turned  from  the  place,  "  it  isn't  the  question 
which  one  your  father  will  like  best." 

She  gave  him  a  quick  look,  half  amused,  half 
resentful,  and  followed  his  mother. 

"  Our  poor  little  ranch,"  that  lady  was  saying, 
"  looks  very  trifling  beside  the  fifty  square  miles 
covered  by  the  Luce's,  or  the  hundred  of  the 
Carruth's;  but  I  love  my  little  home  and  my 
garden." 

"And    it    evidently    requites   your    love   and 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  103 

care/'  Marian  responded,  looking  about  her  with 
admiring  eyes,  "  your  garden  is  a  veritable  fairy- 
land of  beauty.'' 

"  Except  that  your  garden  is  more  luxurious 
your  ranch  is  just  like  Uncle  Dan's  only 
smaller " 

"  They  are  all  about  the  same,"  Walter  ex- 
plained timidly,  "  even  to  the  little  nigger  cot- 
tages. 

"  And  the  Algerita  bushes — my  Algerita's,  how 
I  love  them !  "    Marian  interrupted. 

Tom  eyed  her  fixedly  taking  mental  note  of 
her  fancy  for  these  blossoms,  and  rejoicing  in 
her  enthusiasm,  and  her  capacity  for  enjoyment, 
hoping,  perhaps  that  it  might  denote  a  capacity  to 
love  in  the  deepest  and  greatest  sense  of  the  word. 

After  a  short  walk  they  heard  Aunt  Dinah  call 
from  the  open  door,  "  Come  right  in  to  dinner," 
and  she  led  the  way  hospitably. 

"  Will  you  ask  a  blessing,  Walter?  "  Mrs.  May- 
berry  said  calmly  when  they  were  all  seated  at 
the  table,  whereupon  the  embarrassed  youth  mur- 
mured a  benediction. 

"  Here,  one  ob  you  huns  da,  come  open  dis  do'," 
called  the  voice  of  Aunt  Dinah.  "  I  done  got  my 
skyart  caught,  an'  I'll  be  spillin'  dese  onjins  di- 
rectly." A  moment  after  she  appeared  at  the 
table  bearing  the  onions,  while  behind  her  came 


104  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

one  of  lier  pickaninnies  with  a  platter  of  fresh 
beef. 

"  These  onions  were  planted  on  the  increase 
of  the  moon,"  observed  Mrs.  Mayberry  with  an 
arch  smile,  "  according  to  Aunt  Dinah's  advice." 

Aunt  Dinah  rolled  her  large  eyes  with  delight. 
"  Yassum,"  she  said  proudly.  "  An'  you  jus'  look 
at  'em!  Ain't  they  magniferous?  De  moon  hab 
lots  to  do  wid  the  affairs  ob  humans.  De  sun, 
too.  I  allers  give  my  chillern  their  medersun 
when  de  sun  goes  down,  or  when  its  just  risin', 
according  as  the  misery  is  in  their  head  or  their 
feet. 

"  Get  away  from  ma  feet,  you  little  black 
nigger !  "  she  added  in  an  aside  to  her  offspring, 
who  had  tripped  on  the  rug.  ''  You  air  the  beat- 
enest  for  a  well-brought  up  nigger !  Y^ou  ac'  like 
you  was  po'  white  trash  an'  never  done  see  a 
cyarpet;  you  get  around  dat-a-way,  an'  I'll  go 
dis-a-way." 

"You  should  hear  Aunt  Dinah  tell  ghost 
stories,"  said  Tom. 

"  Yah,  yah,  'bout  live  ghosts.  Your  eyes  would 
jus'  bug  right  out  o'  yo'  head ! "  chuckled  Aunt 
Dinah,  delighted  at  the  notice  she  was  receiving. 

"  That  will  do,  now,  Dinah,"  said  Mrs.  May- 
berry  gently,  and  Aunt  Dinah  bustled  from  the 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  105 

room,  whereupon  the  conversation  took  a  more 
serious  turn. 

The  party  were  all  exercised  over  the  news  in 
Mr.  Luce's  letter.  It  informed  them  that  through 
a  private  correspondence  he  had  learned  more  of 
the  paticulars  of  the  adventures  of  Piper  and 
Irving.  Thej  had  stayed,  not  for  the  roping  con- 
test, but  to  join  in  the  pursuit  of  the  fellow  who 
was  caught  and  imprisoned  that  evening;  that 
Irving  already  had  the  fever  though  he  was  not 
aware  of  it,  and  that  Piper  had  been  wounded  in 
this  adventure  and  not  in  any  attempt  to  leave 
the  city.  The  wound  was  but  slight,  and  he 
W'Ould  be  home  in  a  few  days  with  a  more  de- 
tailed account  of  this — to  him  delightful, — ad- 
venture; furthermore  the  ranchmen  were  cau- 
tioned to  w^atch  out  for  any  idle-looking  unknown 
negroes,  Mexicans,  or  even  white  men  who  could 
not  give  a  plausible  account  of  themselves. 

All  looked  deeply  concerned.  Marian  studied 
Jay's  averted  face  long  and  hard,  but  could  glean 
nothing  that  might  either  alarm  or  reassure,  and 
then  turning  to  Tom,  who  leaned  towards  her  re- 
sponsively,  she  said  in  a  tone  full  of  sympathy. 

"  This  is  a  life  which  must  tend  to  make  one 
old  before  his  time.'' 

"  It  is  for  a  fact,"  he  answered.  "  I  feel  like  I 
was  old  enough  to  be  your  father,  I  have  had  so 


106  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

much  responsibility  and  you  seem  so  free  from 
care.  The  constant  worry  makes  one  old,  and 
the  lonely  life,  too,  leaves  more  time  for  reflec- 
tion. A  ranchman  never  knows  at  what  moment 
a  horse  may  fall  and  throw  him,  an  angry  bull 
stick  him,  or  a  shot  fired  from  behind  a  bush  end 
his  career.  To  him  life  is  elemental,  its  problems 
simple.  He  knows  nothing  about  hundreds  of 
things  that  perplex  men  in  large  cities.  His  com- 
panions have  the  same  aims  and  desires,  and 
there  is  very  little  competition;  his  enemies  are 
open  ones,  and  his  only  protection  from  them  a 
quick  eye  and  hand.  He  does  not  need  to  learn 
or  to  practise  any  subtleties  of  mind  in  order  to 
discover  those  he  ought  to  have  for  friends  and 
to  attract  them,  nor  to  protect  himself  against 
those  whose  conflicting  interests  make  them  his 
foes.  Here,  the  cows  are  our  principal  compan- 
ions, and  if  their  society  lacks  brilliancy,  they 
are  free  from  envy,  hatred,  and  malice,  and  all 
uncharitableness,  which  you  may  have  to  en- 
counter in  the  society  of  more  fascinating  human 
beings.'^ 

"  Wouldn't  you  prefer  more  variety?  '^  asked 
Marion,  regarding  him  with  increasing  admi- 
ration. His  face  had  become  positively  radiant, 
so  that  Jay's  in  comparison  was  dull  and  heavy. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  107 

"  What  an  inward  fire  the  man  has,"  she  medi- 
tated. 

Meantime  Tom  had  framed  his  reply :  "  It  isn't 
a  matter  of  what  I  prefer,"  he  returned  sadly, 
still  gazing  at  her  intently,  as  though  he  would 
gladly  read  her  mind.  "  My  place  is  here,  I  am 
not  fit  for  anything  else,  and  I  have  others  de- 
pendent on  me.  I  might  love  some  girl  enough 
to  follow  her  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  but  it  is  a 
woman's  place  to  follow  her  husband,  and  as  I 
have  nothing  to  offer  her  anyway  but  myself,  if 
she  couldn't  love  me  enough " 

"  Oh,  quit  getting  so  sentimental,  Tom,"  Jay 
interrupted  at  that  point,  while  Walter  looked 
troubled.  "  I'd  go  anywhere  the  girl  I  loved 
wanted  me  to  go  and  risk  her  loving  me  enough. 
I  reckon  anyway,  Miss  Marion,  I'll  go  to  New 
York  and  get  your  Dad  to  make  a  lawyer  of  me." 

^^  What  do  you  say  to  that?"  Marian  asked, 
turning  again  to  Tom. 

"  I  say,"  he  returned  evasively,  "  that  I  must 
get  out  and  see  what  the  boys  are  up  to. 
Wouldn't  you  like  to  help  us.  Miss  Marion?  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  she  answered  gayly.  "  W^ouldn't 
you  like  to  have  Mr.  Carruth,  also?  " 

"  Of  course.  I  need  you  both.  Jay,  you  go 
over  to  the  pasture  with  Hank,  while  I  take  Miss 
Marion  this  way." 


108  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Mounting  the  horses  Hank  had  saddled  for 
them,  the  four  started  off. 

"  IVe  ridden  your  '  Old  Buster  '  so  often  now," 
said  Marian  "  that  he  comes  when  I  call,  and  fol- 
lows me  about  the  field  like  a  dog." 

"  You'll  get  him  to  be  like  his  master,  not  able 
to  get  along  without  you,"  answered  Tom  senti- 
mentally. "  I'm  worrying  now.  Miss  Marian, 
about  the  time  when  you  will  leave  us.  It'll  be 
like  cutting  off  an  arm  or  a  leg  to  have  you  go 
away." 

"  You  Southerners  do  say  such  pretty  things !  " 
she  murmured  in  confusion. 

"  But  you  know  I  mean  that,  and  vastly  more," 
persisted  Tom.  "  I  couldn't  tell  a  woman  I  loved 
her  unless  my  very  soul  was  hers,  and  I  shall 
need  all  my  strength  and  force  to  go  on  with  my 
work  here  if  I  love  a  woman  who  doesn't  love  me. 
There  are  all  kinds  of  Southerners,  as  there  are 
all  sorts  of  Northerners;  and  please  remember 
that  the  ranchman  does  not  meet  many  ideals." 

Marian's  heart  beat  quickly  and  a  warm  color 
surged  over  her  face,  but  she  said  nothing,  and 
they  rode  on  for  some  time  in  deep  silence. 
Presently  Tom  stopped,  turned  in  his  saddle,  and, 
holding  up  his  hand,  listened  intently,  as  did 
Marian  also.  Not  a  sound  did  they  hear  but  the 
occasional    lowing    of    the   cattle.      Then    Tom 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  109 

raised  his  voice  in  a  series  of  demoniac  yells,  to 
which  he  received  no  reply. 

"  I  must  go  to  the  Cedar  break,"  he  said  turn- 
ing to  Marian,  "  for  one  or  both  of  the  boys  may 
be  hurt ;  you  stay  here,  and  if  anything  happens 
blow  this  whistle;"  and  off  he  started  at  a  gal- 
lop. 

Marian,  alone  in  the  field,  looked  on  all  sides 
at  the  gTeat  stretch  of  prairie,  relieved  only  by 
an  occasional  clump  of  cedars,  and  bordered  in 
the  distance  by  low  hills.     She  tried  to  realize, 
even  to  a  slight  extent,  the  monotony  and  lone- 
someness  of  a  cowboy  existence.     She  began  to 
see,  also,  what  a  temptation  there  must  be  to 
drink  and  gamble,  when  there  was  so  little  to  in- 
terest or  amuse  young  men  full  of  the  love  of 
excitement  and  adventure.     Her  heart  went  out 
to  the  man  who  had  just  left  her.    "  It  must  be 
seldom  that  one  finds  a  man  so  constituted  that 
he  can  choose  out  of  such  a  life  only  what  is 
beautiful  and  good.    How  near  such  a  man  must 
feel  to  the  heart  of  nature,"  she  said  to  herself, 
and  all  the  while  her  eager  ears  and  eyes  were 
on  the  alert  for  some  signs  of  human  life.    Even 
in  these  few  moments,  the  extreme  lonesomeness 
of  the  place  awed  her. 

Soon  a  moving  speck  appeared  in  the  distance, 
which  approached  slowly,  and  presently   there 


110  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

came  into  full  view  the  Mexican  who  had  ac- 
companied her  and  Jay  to  the  ranch  that  after- 
noon. As  he  galloped  toward  her  and  it  dawned 
upon  her  who  he  was,  she  became  too  terrified 
to  observe  or  to  reflect  upon  the  fact  that  he  rode 
then,  instead  of  his  own  wasted  animal  with  the 
decorations  of  cockle  burs,  one  of  the  fastest  and 
best  of  the  Mayberrj  horses,  also  that  he  had 
added  considerably  to  his  toilet,  that  he  held 
something  concealed  and  that  he  had  in  his  hand, 
under  his  long  cloak,  a  shining  new  revolver ;  this 
last  she  noticed  as  he  stopped  in  passing  and 
pointed  its  muzzle  directly  at  her. 

"  If  you  make  a  sound  I  shoot/'  he  said  with  a 
strong  accent. 

Marian  did  not  move,  but  the  man  still  stood 
and  held  her  under  the  cover  of  the  revolver. 

"  You  promise  not  to  tell  you  see  me  or  I 
shoot,''  he  continued. 

Marian  gave  the  promise  in  a  tone  which  was 
scarcely  audible,  but  it  evidently  contented  the 
man,  for  he  dashed  on  quickly,  and  was  scarcely 
out  of  sight  when  Tom  reappeared  bearing  across 
his  saddle  a  very  young  calf. 

"  He  is  too  weak  to  walk,"  he  explained,  "  and 
I  must  take  him  down  to  the  pen  where  we  can 
look  after  him." 

Marian  did  not  answer.     She  tried  to  smile, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  Ill 

but  her  attempt  was  so  forced  that  Tom  asked 
quickly,  "  Are  you  all  right?  " 

"Yes,  indeed.  What  was  the  trouble  back 
there?" 

"  Oh,  a  couple  of  Greasers  were  bothering  the 
boys  by  refusing  to  do  their  work  as  we  wanted 
it  done.  They  were  making  such  a  noise  fight- 
ing, that  they  didn't  hear  me  call." 

Marian  felt  that  there  was  a  purpose  in  the 
action  of  the  Mexicans,  namely,  to  aid  in  the 
escape  of  their  confederate  and  she  realized  that 
this  success  had  perhaps  saved  some  valuable 
life.  Her  first  impulse  was  to  ask  about  the 
prisoner  and  in  some  way  to  cause  Tom  to  return 
to  his  stronghold,  but  fear  for  his  safety  pre- 
vented her. 

They  rode  on  in  silence,  Marian  regaining  her 
usual  confidence  and  feeling  of  security  as  she 
gave  herself  up  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  scene  and 
to  the  influence  that  this  calm,  silent  man  always 
exerted  over  her.  As  neither  of  them  felt  in- 
clined for  speech,  they  rode  on  in  silence  until 
they  reached  the  pen.  There  they  halted  and 
Tom  stretching  out  his  hand  pointed  to  a  massive 
beast  standing  nearby. 

"  This  is  our  registered  bull,"  he  exclaimed 
proudly.  "  He  is  a  full-blooded  Durham,  with  a 
pedigree  as  long  as  my  own." 


112  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Do  their  necks  get  thick  in  proportion  to  the 
length  of  their  pedigrees?  Let  me  try  to  rope 
one  of  them,  won't  you?    It  looks  easy.'' 

"  Certainly,  but  not  on  these  cattle.  We  will 
go  into  the  lower  pen,  and  you  can  experiment 
on  some  of  the  no  'count  beasts.  Now  grasp 
this  rope  just  above  the  knot.  If  you  want  to 
throw  high,  swing  it  over  your  head  this  way," 
and  with  apparently  no  effort  he  swung  the  rope 
(which  was  always  coiled  up  on  one  side  of  his 
saddle)  around  his  head,  and  threw  it  over  the 
horns  of  a  cow  that  was  at  that  moment  placidly 
chewing  her  cud  near  them. 

"  Now  get  off  your  horse,"  he  said  jumping  off 
lightly  himself  and  holding  his  hand  to  help  her. 
"  I'll  show  you  some  roping.  I  can  rope  you 
without  hurting  you  a  bit.  You're  not  afraid, 
are  you  ?  " 

"  Not  in  the  least." 

"  W^ell,  then,  walk  along  quickly ;  I  will  catch 
you  round  the  shoulders."  In  a  few  seconds  she 
felt  the  rope  drop  gently  about  her  arms. 

"  Now  go  where  you  will,  I  will  throw  it 
around  your  feet."  In  a  twinkling  Marian  was 
bound  hand  and  foot. 

"  Now  watch  old  Zip,"  he  laughed  after  he  had 
released  her.  Zip,  the  dog,  eager  for  fun, 
bounded  away,  barking  loudly  and  looking  be- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  113 

hind  him.  His  two  hind  legs  were  caught,  then 
the  body,  and  finally  the  fore  legs, — wherever 
Marian  requested  the  rope  to  fall. 

"  The  running  roping  you  will  see  at  the  con- 
test." Tom's  eyes  were  shining  brightly  with 
the  pleasant  exercise  and  his  companion's  evi- 
dent admiration. 

"  Now,  try  it  yourself.  Rope  that  old  bull 
over  yonder  with  his  back  to  you.  He  doesn't 
see  3^ou,  and  so  will  stand  still." 

Marian,  with  the  help  of  Tom,  who  put  her 
hand  in  the  right  place,  awkwardly  fumbled  with 
the  heavy  rope,  and  walking  almost  up  to  the 
peaceful  old  bull,  to  Tom's  great  delight,  man- 
aged to  throw^  it  over  one  horn. 

"  Pull  it  up  quick !  "  he  roared,  but  the  advice 
was  wasted  for  the  bull,  feeling  that  he  was 
caught,  gave  an  angry  snort,  jerking  his  head  in 
such  a  way  that  he  threw  Marian  flat  on  the 
ground.  The  bull,  pulling  the  rope  from  her 
grasp,  promptly  stampeded.  Tom  sprang  for- 
ward, but  the  small  herd  of  cattle,  feeling  there 
was  danger  for  them  also,  and  desirous  of  escape, 
stampeded  in  a  body  over  Marian,  lying  face 
downward  on  the  ground,  too  suddenly  for  Tom 
to  render  the  slightest  assistance.  When  the  last 
one  had  stepped  carefully  over  her,  Marian  sat  up 
too  weak  with  fright  to  rise. 
8 


114  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Tom  was  clinging  to  the  fence,  white  as  a 
ghost.  "  My  God !  I  did  not  think  you  were 
still  alive ! "  he  gasped,  and  to  his  intense  relief, 
Marian  laughed  excitedly. 

"  I  think  every  last  one  stepped  over  me,"  she 
replied,  rising,  and  standing  before  him  a  very 
muddy  and  forlorn  object. 

She  declared  that  she  was  too  eager  to  witness 
the  round-up  to  desert  the  field  for  a  matter  of 
dress,  and  accordingly,  after  the  two  had  worked 
together  for  some  moments  in  removing  the  outer 
coating  of  mud,  they  remounted  their  horses  and 
rode  away  to  the  scene  of  action.  They  soon 
came  in  sight  of  an  immense  herd  of  cattle  all 
gathered  in  a  circle,  and  around  them  at  regular 
intervals,  the  boys  on  horseback.  Some  of  them 
sat  as  if  half  asleep.  Many  of  the  cattle  lowed 
sadly.  Once  in  a  while  an  animal  would  give  a 
sudden  start  as  though  to  break  away,  then  the 
guard  would  be  on  the  alert  at  once,  for  if  one 
cow  should  take  the  lead  the  whole  herd  might 
stampede  at  once.  Some  of  the  boys  were  laugh- 
ing and  telling  stories.  Their  number  was  con- 
stantly augmented  by  other  cowboys,  driving 
small  bunches  of  cattle,  or  pulling  along  a  refrac- 
tory animal  by  a  rope  thrown  over  his  horns. 
All  were  commenting  with  interest  upon  an  ap- 
proaching thunder  shower. 


** Marian  moved  nearer  to  Tom.' 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  115 

"  There'll  be  right  smart  of  lightning  and  a 
good  deal  of  noise,  but  it  will  be  over  quickly," 
Jay  answered  to  her  apprehensive  questions. 

"  We'll  get  home  to-night,  all  right,  but  there'll 
be  some  fun  when  the  lightning  comes." 

At  the  same  instant  there  was  a  blinding  flash 
and  a  deafening  peal  of  thunder,  and  a  desper- 
ate struggle  ensued  between  the  cattle  and  their 
guardians.    In  a  second  all  was  dark  again. 

"  I'll  see  that  everything  is  all  right,  Tom," 
cried  Jay  in  a  generous  mood.  "  You  look  after 
Miss  Marian,"  and  away  he  darted  around  the 
immense  circle. 

Marian  moved  nearer  to  Tom.  "  I'm  afraid," 
she  whispered  as  the  rain  fell  heavily,  the  thun- 
der pealed  and  the  lightning  played  round  the 
horns  of  the  terrified  cattle. 

Taking  her  hands  in  his,  while  old  Buster  stood 
like  a  statue,  he  assured  her  that  there  was  very 
little  danger,  and  listening  to  his  comforting 
words,  she  felt  a  great  sense  of  peace  steal  over 
her.  For  a  moment  she  shut  her  eyes,  conscious 
of  the  cool  rain,  the  pressure  of  the  firm  hand, 
the  rich  odor  of  the  algerita,  and  a  delightful 
sense  of  security. 

"  The  animal  heat  draws  electricity,"  he  ex- 
plained as  the  quick  storm  was  over,  and  the 
sun  came  out  hotter  than  ever  to  furnish  the 


116  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

natural  means,  and  one  fully  adequate,  to  dry 
off  the  garments  of  the  healthy  young  people. 

"  Was  there  really  no  danger? "  queried 
Marian. 

"  Not  much,  except  to  the  cattle." 

"  Only  one  cow  dead/^  reported  Jay,  riding  up 
to  them. 

"  That  is  quite  wonderful,"  exclaimed  Tom. 
"  Thank  you  heartily.  Jay,  for  all  your  help  this 
afternoon."  He  felt  very  grateful  for  the  oppor- 
tunity he  had  enjoyed. 

"  It  isn't  a  circumstance  to  what  you  are  doing 
for  me  all  the  time,"  replied  Jay,  and  the  two 
looked  into  each  other's  eyes  with  all  the  old  time 
affection,  as  they  all  rode  on  together  to  inspect 
the  dead  cow.  No  horse  willingly  approaches  a 
dead  body  of  any  kind.  The  series  of  snorts  and 
shyings,  the  sundry  kicks  and  yells  which  fol- 
lowed as  several  of  the  boys  tried  to  get  near  the 
fallen  animal,  proved  that  fact  conclusively.  Not 
so  the  cattle.  Slowly  and  sadly  the  few  scattered 
ones  moved  towards  the  carcass,  at  first  one  alone 
which  with  low  heart-rending  moans,  seemed  to 
call  her  companions,  then  one  by  one,  all  came 
gravely  up  with  lowered  heads,  pensively  moan- 
ing. 

"  A  regular  wake,"  mused  Marian. 

"  It  will  give  the  buzzards  a  job  after  the  live 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  117 

beasts  are  driven  away,"  remarked  Jay  prosaic- 
ally. "  But,  Miss  Marian,  I  reckon  it's  up  to  us 
to  hike  back  to  your  uncle's  ranch,  or  he'll  be  out 
gunning  for  me." 

All  this  time,  Marian  was  listening  for  some 
news  of  the  escaped  Mexican.  Finally,  unable  to 
bear  it  any  longer,  she  whispered  to  Tom,  "  Do 
go  and  see  if  that  Mexican  is  still  there." 

Tom  answered  with  his  usual  calmness,  "  We 
didn't  want  you  scared.  Miss  Marian,  but  the  boys 
have  just  told  us  that  scamp  has  vanished  with 
my  best  horse,  my  new  revolver  and  precious  dark 
lantern.  Jay  will  get  you  home  all  right,  for 
he's  gone  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  there  are 
too  many  of  Boss's  men  along  the  way  for  him  to 
trust  his  neck  near  the  Luce  ranch." 

"  Tom  looked  pretty  blue,"  Marian  suggested 
as  she  and  Jay  were  once  more  alone  together. 

"  I  reckon  he  didn't  like  to  lose  his  good  boss 
and  that  new  pistol,"  the  other  returned,  "and 
then  he's  upset  about  this  whole  business." 

"  Picardo  seemed  dreadfully  anxious  to  get 
away '^ 

"  You  bet  he  did,  especially  after  his  pal  was 
caught  in  San  Antonio.  Those  cattle  are  none 
too  true  to  each  other." 


118  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

"  All  is,''  Hyslop  was  heard  to  remark  the 
evening  after  the  visit  to  the  Mayberry  ranch. 
"  That  feller's  getting  away  from  Tom  as  he  did 
last  night  will  make  a  big  stir  when  it  gets  to 
town.  It's  lucky  Carruth  lugged  him  along  with 
him  as  he  did  for  he  was  doubtless  in  touch  with 
some  of  the  others.  You  know  that  the  other 
fellow  got  away  from  the  jail  after  all  when  they 
thought  they  had  him  so  pat  in  San  Antonio." 

"  No !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Luce. 

"  There's  going  to  be  a  reform  this  year  in 
politics;  there'll  be  the  biggest  turning  out  at 
election  that  there  ever  was,"  Hyslop  informed 
him. 

"  You're  the  political  boss  for  your  district, 
ain't  you?  "  asked  Mr.  Luce. 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  I  am." 

"They  think  Bill  killed  the  sherifp,  don't 
they?  "  continued  Uncle  Dan,  changing  the  sub- 
ject.   "  He  swears  he  didn't  and  I  believe  him." 

"You're   right   in   believing   him,"   answered 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  119 

Hyslop  with  an  emphatic  nod.  "  Don't  do  any 
talking  about  it,  lie  low,  and  get  your  girls  off 
somewhere  till  this  storm  blows  over.  We've  got 
to  get  those  men  now,  dead  or  alive,— but  remem- 
ber, the  less  said  the  better.'' 

"  Uncle  Dan,  I  will  go  back  to  New  York  if  I 
am  at  all  in  the  way  here,"  said  Marian  entering 
the  room  just  in  time  to  catch  the  last  remark. 

"  No,  dear,"  returned  her  uncle  affectionately, 
"  we  need  you  very  much  to  look  after  my  poor 
girl.  She  is  in  a  dreadful  state  of  mind,  and 
your  Aunt  Phoebe  is  afraid  to  leave  her  old  fool 
of  a  husband.  She  would  go,  of  course,  rather 
than  let  Bess  go  alone,  but  you  can  look  after  her 
and  take  her  mind  off  of  her  troubles.  I  want 
to  send  you  down  to  Athens  for  a  short  time. 
Now  who  can  I  send  along  with  you-all?  " 

"  Can't  we  go  alone,  Uncle  Dan?  I'm  so  glad 
to  be  of  some  use.  I  do  love  you  all  so  much," 
and  she  embraced  the  old  man  fondly. 

"  Of  course  you  can't  go  alone,  child,"  he  said, 
patting  her  arm  tenderly,  "  but  Tom  and  Jay, 
with  some  of  the  best  men,  have  got  to  go  on  the 
cattle  drive  to-morrow  when  the  cattlemen  get 
round,  and  Gus  must  stay  here  with  the  rest  of 
the  boys  to  guard  the  ranch." 

"  Why  not  let  the  girls  go  on  the  drive  with 
us?"  suggested  Hyslop.     "I  reckon  it'll  be  an 


120  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

experience  you  won't  soon  forget/'  lie  added, 
turning  to  her,  "  and  you  look  as  if  you  could 
stand  the  exertion,"  and  he  gazed  with  admira- 
tion at  her  strong,  erect  figure. 

"  I  should  like  it  above  all  things !  "  exclaimed 
the  girl,  with  sparkling  eyes.  "  Oh,  Uncle  Dan, 
do  let  us  go !  " 

"  They  can  hear  my  political  ispeech,  too," 
urged  Hyslop,  as  though  advancing  an  unanswer- 
able argument  in  favor  of  the  plan. 

"And  Jones'  temperance  lecture,"  added 
Uncle  Dan  with  a  chuckle,  at  which  the  other 
looked  injured.  "  Well,  they  can  stay  with  Mrs. 
Houston,  till  you  go  on  to  Athens  and  then  go 
along  with  you,"  assented  Uncle  Dan,  and  the 
matter  was  settled. 

"  Get  up,  laziness ! "  called  out  Aunt  Phoebe 
bustling  into  Marian's  room  early  the  next  morn- 
ing with  two  substantial  looking  packages  in  her 
hands.  "  I've  got  your  duds  into  your  trunks 
and  they're  all  ready  to  go  down  on  the  truck. 
"  Get  up,  there,  Bess !  "  she  added  to  her  daugh- 
ter who  had  been  sleeping  with  Marian  for  some 
time.  "  Your  poor  mother  looks  after  all  the 
work  on  this  place  and  gets  out  of  bed  every 
mornin'  at  five  o'clock,  while  you  find  it  hard 
work  to  drag  your  lazy  carcass  up  at  seven.  I 
ain't  agoin'  to  have  any  more  of  this  settin'  up 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  121 

all  night,  and  lyin'  abed  all  day.  Now  you  just 
hustle.  I've  put  you-alPs  lunches  in  these  paper 
sacks,  and  you  can  pack  'em  yourselves." 

"  Where  shall  I  pack  them?  "  inquired  Marian 
wonderingly. 

"  Carry  them,  I  mean.  Don't  you-all  under- 
stand English?" 

"Not  that  kind,"  answered  the  girl  saucily; 
then,  throwing  her  arms  round  the  good  lady, 
she  said,  "  Now,  Aunt  Phoebe,  you're  just  pre- 
tending to  be  cross,  to  hide  your  real  feelings. 
I've  caught  you  at  it  before." 

To  her  surprise  the  old  lady  burst  into  tears, 
and  turning  to  one  side  wiped  her  eyes  with  the 
checkered  apron. 

"What  made  you  do  all  that  work  for  us?" 
asked  Marian  softly. 

"I  like  to  work,"  she  answered,  still  wiping 
her  eyes.  "  I'm  used  to  it,  and  I  don't  want  Bess 
to  get  old  and  ugly  from  overwork  as  I  did.  It 
isn't  the  work — I'm  only  worried  about  things, 
and  I  shall  miss  you  girls  so." 

"  W^e  won't  go  a  step,  if  you  talk  that-a-way, 
Maw,"  said  Bess  softly. 

"  And  you're  not  old  and  ugly,  you're  a  hand- 
some woman,"  stoutly  asserted  Marian;  and,  in 
spite  of  the  manifest  absurdity  of  her  assertion, 


122  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Aunt  Phoebe  looked  pleased.  Vanity  dies  hard 
in  the  feminine  heart. 

Marian  had  by  this  time  finished  her  simple 
toilet,  and  stepped  out  on  the  veranda  to  watch 
the  preparation  for  the  cattle  drive,  leaving  Bess 
and  her  mother  to  their  parting  words. 

"  Harry,  Joe,  and  John,  you  go  on  the  side 
yonder,^'  she  heard  Jay  call  out.  He  seemed  at 
this  time  to  be  the  master  of  ceremonies.  "  Bert, 
Doc,  and  Dan,  you  come  on  this  side.  Harry 
you  take  Bess  on  your  side,  and  look  after  her, 
and  Miss  Marian  can  stay  in  back  with  me.'' 

The  cows  were  drawn  up  in  a  line  which 
reached  nearly  out  of  sight.  Far  ahead  she  saw 
the  figure  of  Tom  Mayberry  galloping  swiftly 
here  and  there,  and  recognized  men  at  intervals 
along  the  line,  from  all  three  ranches. 

"  Tell  the  niggers  to  ride  in  behind,  in  case  I 
want  them,"  roared  Jay  at  the  top  of  his  voice; 
then  turning,  he  saw  Marian,  and  springing  from 
his  horse  he  advanced  to  the  veranda  to  meet 
her,  drawing  off  his  riding  glove  before  extending 
his  hand  to  grasp  hers. 

"  Good-morning,"  he  said.  "  Do  you  still  feel 
equal  to  this  undertaking?  " 

"  Indeed  I  do." 

As  she  looked  into  his  handsome  face,  she 
noticed  more  earnestness,  with  little  lines  of  care 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  123 

which  she  had  never  before  observed.  She  won- 
dered if  there  were  really  a  change  or  if  she  had 
only  glanced  at  him  carelessly  before. 

"  I'm  all  ready,"  called  out  Bess,  coming  out 
on  the  veranda.  "  Go  in  and  get  your  breakfast, 
Marian.  Where's  my  horse?  "  she  asked,  pulling 
on  her  gloves;  then,  vaulting  into  the  saddle  as 
Nigger  Ned  brought  up  her  steed,  she  dashed  off 
to  interview  Tom. 

"  How  well  she  appears  on  horseback ! "  said 
Marian,  her  eyes  following  her  with  admiration. 

"  Oh,  yes.  Like  all  the  rest  of  us,  she  looks 
better  on  horseback  than  anywhere  else.  We 
ought  to  do  all  our  courting  from  the  back  of  a 
horse,"  he  answered. 

"  Come,  Marian,"  called  Aunt  Phoebe ;  and  the 
girl  went  in  to  take  a  hasty  breakfast,  after 
which  she  said  good-by  to  Uncle  Dan. 

As  they  started  on  the  drive,  the  three  hundred 
cattle  were  straying  along  in  an  irregular  line. 
Now  and  then  one  would  walk  off  to  one  side, 
and  an  alert  cowboy  would  dash  after  it,  to  send 
the  truant  back  to  the  line.  When  they  came  to 
clumps  of  thorny  bushes  where  Marian  could 
see  no  opening  whatever,  the  boys,  protected  by 
leather  jackets  and  trousers,  would  dart  into 
them  without  hesitation. 

"  I  just  begged  the  cattle  to  keep  out  of  that," 


124  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

laughed  Marian  as  Harry  came  to  her  assistance, 
"  but  they  wouldn't  listen  to  me." 

"You're  so  pretty,"  answered  the  boy,  "they 
clean  lost  their  heads." 

"  You  certainly  are  sweeter  than  ever  in  that 
sunbonnet,"  said  Jay,  with  admiration  at  her 
flushed  face.  "  I  reckon  we'd  better  rest  here  for 
a  spell.    You-all  must  be  getting  tired." 

They  dismounted  under  a  large  tree,  and  Mar- 
ian leaned  back  glad  to  rest. 

"  How  are  you  getting  along?  "  inquired  Tom 
riding  up  and  placing  his  leather  jacket  between 
her  shoulders  and  the  rough  bark  of  the  tree. 

She  gave  him  a  grateful  glance,  and  leaned 
back  again,  feeling  the  sense  of  peace  and  con- 
tentment which  his  presence  always  seemed  to 
bring.  She  wondered  why  the  famous  men  she 
had  met  had  never  impressed  her  as  did  this  un- 
cultured youth.  As  she  watched  him,  Whittier's 
lines  came  to  her, 

"  Nor  frock  nor  tan, 
Can  hide  tlie  man." 

Tom  was  speaking,  but  she  had  heard  nothing  of 
what  he  said. 

"  If  you  all  talk  at  once,  she  can't  sense  any- 
thing," called  Bess  as  she  swung  from  her  hors© 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  125 

and  dropped  beside  her  cousin  leaning  against 
lier  affectionately. 

"Well,  what  difference  does  it  make?"  an- 
swered Harry  lazily.  "  Joe,  chase  up  that  gen- 
tleman heifer  on  the  right.  He  is  disposed  to 
wander." 

As  they  continued  their  journey,  the  boys 
broke  into  snatches  of  cowboy  ballads. 

"  Be  careful,  boys,"  called  out  Jay,  half  fear- 
ing that  Marian  w^ould  hear  something  of  which 
she  would  disapprove. 

"  I  w^ant  to  hear  one  of  those  ballads  I  have 
heard  about,  with  seventy-nine  verses,"  she 
begged. 

^'  Well,  call  up  that  old  nigger  on  the  left  and 
tell  him  to  sing  '  Boll  Weevil,' "  commanded 
Jay;  and  the  darky  began  a  melodious  chant. 

"  Now^  for  a  love  song,"  cried  Marian  as  the 
sounds  died  away. 

"Are  love  songs  interesting  to  you?"  asked 
Jay,  giving  her  a  meaning  glance. 

"  Of  course,"  she  answered  frankly,  and  Jay 
called  out, 

"  Tom,  come  up  here  and  give  us  your  song." 

So  Tom  drew  near  and  in  a  musical  tenor,  sang 
a  touching  ballad,  beginning, 

"  Ive  crossed  deep  waters  for  you,  my  dear, 
What  more  could  a  poor  man  do  ?  " 


126  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  That  is  Tom's  favorite  song  and  he  composed 
the  words  himself,''  said  Jay,  as  Marian  ex- 
pressed her  pleasure. 

"  I  didn't  suppose  he  was  a  poet,"  she  an- 
swered in  surprise  looking  after  Tom  as  he  gal- 
loped off. 

"  Oh,  we  indulge  in  a  few  pastimes  besides 
drinking  and  gambling." 

"  Tom  never  feels  the  need  of  the  latter  amuse- 
ments, does  he?  "  asked  Marian. 

"  He's  human,  like  the  rest  of  us,"  laughed 
Jay.  "  Luckily  for  him,  he's  poor  and  has  to 
work  the  greater  part  of  his  time.  Still  he  gets 
out  and  hollers  on  certain  occasions — plays  a  few 
tricks  on  the  boys,  off  and  on,  and  gets  licked  at 
poker  once  in  a  while ;  in  fact,  whenever  he  goes 
in  for  a  game.  He  has  such  measly  luck  at  cards, 
he  sure  ought  to  be  lucky  in  love.  No!  Tom 
never  posed  as  a  saint.  He's  just  what  you  see 
him,  a  big,  strong,  dandy  good  fellow.  I  mean 
to  beat  his  time  if  I  can,  but  I  won't  dodge  the 
fact  that  he's  white  clear  through.  You  don't 
want  a  man  to  be  an  angel  with  a  tin  halo,  do 
you.  Miss  Marian?" 

She  did  not  answer,  but,  instead,  as  they  were 
passing  a  large  pecan  tree,  said, 

"  What  small  branches  the  pecan  nuts  grow 
on!    How  in  the  world  do  you  gather  them?  " 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  127 

"  Well,  we  don't  gather  them  much  round  here, 
except  those  that  are  on  the  ground;  but  I  be- 
lieve it  is  done  in  some  places  by  captive  balloons. 
You  see  the  branches  are  so  delicate  they  won't 
bear  a  man's  weight;  (this  remark  was  intended 
as  a  joke)  but  look  ahead.  It's  a  pretty  sight, 
isn't  it?  " 

Before  her  was  a  long  stretch  of  red  cattle, 
with  now  and  then  a  spot  of  black  or  white,  the 
tossing  of  myriad  horns,  the  cowboys  ever  on  the 
alert,  dashing  here  and  there  on  their  agile  little 
horses,  their  lithe,  active  figures  well  set  off  by 
their  easy  costumes.  The  wide  fields  of  heavy 
green  grass,  the  brilliant  red  and  yellow  flowers 
and  the  deep  blue  of  the  southern  sky  added 
color  to  the  picture.  Her  cousin  Bess  looked  like 
a  veritable  Diana,  as  she  rode  with  easy  grace  by 
the  side  of  the  handsome  Harry. 

"  Oh,  why  must  any  one  be  shut  up  in  a  city !  " 
exclaimed  Marian.  "  What  a  truly  wonderful 
country  this  is !  " 

Jay's  eyes  shone  with  pleasure  as  they  rode  on 
in  a  silence  broken  only  by  the  lowing  of  the  cat- 
tle or  the  distant  songs  of  their  drivers  (for  they 
had  fallen  far  behind  the  others). 

Marian  felt  the  fascination  of  the  man  beside 
her  and  in  her  heart  acknowledged  him  fully  the 


128  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

peer  of  any  man  she  had  known  in  the  city  of 
New  York. 

Then,  taking  up  the  reins  which  were  hanging 
loosely  on  her  horse's  neck,  she  flashed  a  quick 
glance  at  Jay,  as  she  said  archly,  "  I  thought  you 
were  going  to  New  York  t©  study  law." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  129 


CHAPTER   XV. 

And  now  the  weary  and  disheveled  cavalcade 
had  reached  Xantus,  the  cattle  had  walked  up 
the  inclined  plane  to  their  respective  cars,  and 
the  crowd  had  scattered  to  go  in  groups  of  two 
or  more  in  search  of  something  to  eat  and  any 
possible  excitement  that  offered.  Marian  natu- 
rally found  herself  between  Tom  and  Jay,  Bess 
bringing  up  the  rear  with  the  faithful  Harry. 

"Aren't  you  tired,  honey?''  asked  Bess.  "It 
was  a  pretty  long  ride  for  you  to  take." 

"  You  ought  to  have  driven  in  the  truck  part 
of  the  way,  with  Hyslop,"  added  Tom,  regarding 
her  with  concern. 

"  Oh,  I'm  not  a  bit  tired,"  she  answered 
brightly,  "  and  I  wouldn't  have  missed  any  part 
of  the  ride  for  the  world." 

"  Hyslop's  saving  his  strength  for  his  speech," 
laughed  Jay.  "  He's  a  regular  howler  when  it 
comes  to  a  stump  speech,  and  he's  bent  on  reform, 
this  year." 

"  This  old  hall  has  seen  lots  of  good  times, 
hasn't  it,  boys?  "  broke  in  Bess. 
9 


130  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"What  hall?  That  old  barn?''  cried  Marian 
in  astonishment. 

"  '  That  barn,'  as  you  are  pleased  to  call  it,  my 
lady,  is  the  Public  School  and  Town  Hall  com- 
bined. Many  a  good  dance  have  we  had  in  it,'' 
Tom  explained. 

"  Does  '  Brother  Butler '  love  little  boys  who 
dance?  "  she  asked  archly,  for  she  knew  Tom  and 
Jay  were  his  especial  pets. 

"  He  loves  us  in  spite  of  our  faults,"  said  Jay 
gayly,  for  he  was  evidently  in  the  highest  spirits. 
"  Sometimes  I'm  tempted  to  quit  dancing  just  to 
enjoy  his  pleasure  over  it.  I  shall  take  it  into 
serious  consideration  soon — about  forty  years 
from  now.  In  this  building  we  are  now  passing 
you  will  have  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  a  polit- 
ical discourse  in  which  your  party  will  be  torn 
to  shreds,  also  a  temperance  lecture,  the  Lord 
willing  and  no  man  objecting.  This  is  the  post- 
oflQce  on  our  right,  and  there  is  the  drug  store 
over  yonder;"  and  he  pointed  down  the  grass- 
grown  street  to  a  number  of  plain  board  shacks. 

"  Why,  are  we  already  in  the  town?  "  she  asked 
in  amazement.  " '  In  the  very  heart  of  the  me- 
tropolis,' to  quote  Gus,  and  it's  a  good  brisk  day 
for  business.    Behold  the  crowds !  " 

Sure  enough,  the  two  little  side  streets  con- 
tained  lines   of  vehicles   of   every   description, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  131 

many  more  saddled  horses,  and  round  the  broad 
veranda  of  the  one  large  provision  store  lounged 
cowboys,  Greasers,  and  various  nondescript  in- 
dividuals, all  chatting  merrily,  with  a  good  deal 
of  noise  and  ostentation.  Among  the  loungers 
Marian  recognized  one  or  two  of  her  companions 
on  the  drive.  Now  and  then  a  lank  woman  or 
two  passed  in  or  out  of  the  store,  and  a  short  dis- 
tance away  was  a  group  of  negroes. 

"  Are  you  too  tired  to  go  out  this  evening?  " 
asked  Tom.  "  You  girls  will  have  to  keep  busy 
to  see  all  the  sights.  We  are  going  to  supper  at 
Aunt  Mary's  and  she'll  want  you  to  go  to  the 
prayer  meeting  afterward ;  then  there's  a  roping 
contest  to-morrow.  I  hope  nothing  unpleasant 
will  happen  while  you  are  here.  We  mean  to  get 
you  off  south  before  there's  any  lynching." 

Bess  turned  pale,  and  Jay  gave  a  troubled 
glance  in  her  direction;  but  Marian,  hardly 
noticing  the  remark  in  her  interest  in  the  strange 
sights  before  her,  declared  again  she  was  not  a 
bit  tired. 

Aunt  Mary  and  her  pretty  little  daughter, 
Henrietta,  welcomed  them  with  much  warmth, 
and  made  them  feel  at  home  at  once. 

"  Here's  a  distinguished  visitor  who  arrived 
before  you,"  said  Aunt  Mary,  pointing  to  Hyslop, 
who  was  seated  on  the  parlor  sofa,  busily  en- 


132  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

gaged  in  making  notes  in  preparation  for  his 
political  speech.  At  this  announcement  he  rose 
to  welcome  his  friends. 

"  I  hope  you-all  enjoyed  the  drive,"  he  said  to 
Marian. 

"  I  haven't  words  to  express  my  pleasure  in 
it,"  she  replied  and  he  nodded  his  head  with  a 
satisfied  air. 

"  Come  right  out  to  supper,"  called  Aunt 
Mary,  "you-all  must  be  half  starved.  You  can 
talk  at  the  table." 

As  they  sat  at  the  table,  Marian  studied  her 
hostess.  She  was  much  like  Mrs.  Mayberry,  but 
without  her  air  of  inborn  nobility.  Hetty,  the 
little  cousin,  was  a  sweet,  dimpled  maiden  of 
eighteen,  with  an  evident  admiration  for  her  two 
cousins,  Tom  and  Jay.  Marian  felt  that  she 
loved  her  at  once. 

"Who's  going  to  church  to-night?"  asked 
Hetty  as  they  rose  from  the  table.  "  Are  you  all 
too  tired?" 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  We're  all  going,"  answered 
Tom.    "  May  I  take  you.  Miss  Marian?  " 

"  She  has  already  promised  me  that  pleasure^" 
broke  in  Hyslop  with  an  important  air. 

"  Well,  Jay,  I'll  have  to  go  with  you,"  laughed 
Tom,  but  Jay's  brow  was  decidedly  overcast. 

"What  does  that  fool  want  to  butt  in  for?" 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  133 

he  growled  in  an  undertone,  glaring  at  tlie  un- 
conscious back  of  the  triumphant  Hyslop. 

At  the  door  of  the  church  were  many  of  the 
companions  of  the  drive,  as  they  found  nothing 
more  exciting  than  the  prayer-meeting  on  hand 
for  the  evening.  Doc  grinned  as  he  saw  Hyslop's 
satisfied  air  and  Jay's  lowering  expression. 

"  Temperature's  fallen  since  morning,"  he  re- 
marked to  his  friend.  "  Seems  as  if  there  was 
another  in  the  running.  I  thought  Jay  was 
ahead." 

"  Bill  says  he's  losing  out,  and  is  bettin'  on 
Tom,"  said  the  other. 

Upon  entering  the  bare  little  church,  Marian 
looked  about  her  curiously.  Could  religion  be 
anything  but  austere  if  nurtured  in  such  a  place? 

"  You'll  see  Brother  Butler  again  in  a  few  mo- 
ments," whispered  Tom,  who  was  seated  behind 
her.  "  I  hope  he  will  explain  as  usual  that 
*  Baptize  '  means  immersion  and  is  proof  positive 
that  one  can  go  to  Heaven  by  no  other  road." 

"Don't  be  flippant,  Tom,"  whispered  Jay  with 
unwonted  seriousness,  and  Hetty  looked  at  him 
with  reproof. 

Marian  recognized  many  of  the  faces  and  cos- 
tumes she  had  seen  previously  at  the  prayer- 
meeting.  They  all  looked  at  her  with  evident 
curiosity. 


134  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Hope  you'll  enjoy  the  music,"  said  Hyslop 
with  a  grin.  "  Some  of  the  organ  notes  don't  go, 
and  some  sound  all  the  time.  Sometimes  the 
organ  stops  short  in  the  middle  of  the  singing, 
anl  it  generally  emits  a  few  groans  when  the 
singing  is  over." 

"  Unconscious  criticism,"  murmured  Jay. 

Marian  saw  with  surprise  that  ^'  Sin  Killer 
Jones  "  had  entered  with  Mr.  Butler,  and  sat  be- 
side him  on  the  platform  behind  the  pulpit.  Just 
then  the  choir  filed  in,  sitting  in  the  organ  loft 
at  the  end  of  the  church  and  gazing  about  as  if, 
now  they  were  there,  it  was  quite  time  for  the 
service  to  begin.  A  silence  fell  on  the  congrega- 
tion as  Brother  Butler  rose  and  asked  the  bless- 
ing of  God  on  the  service  about  to  be  held  for 
His  honor  and  glory.  Then  he  gave  out  a  hymn, 
reading  it  all  through  in  a  somewhat  monotonous 
voice,  with  a  rising  inflection  at  the  end  of  the 
first  line,  and  a  falling  one  at  the  second, 

"  Shall  I  be  carried  to  the  skies 
On  flowery  beds  of  ease." 

The  congregation  rose  and  faced  the  choir, 
turning  their  backs  to  the  clergy,  but  Brother 
Butler's  voice  could  be  heard  as  he  sang  the 
hymn  with  great  heartiness.     Sin  Killer  Jones 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  135 

did  not  sing,  but  sat  regarding  the  congregation 
with  a  menacing  look,  as  if  he  would  willingly 
become  the  instrument  of  the  wrath  of  God  to- 
wards them. 

"  I  wonder  if  he  repels  other  people  as  he  does 
me,"  thought  Marian,  and  glancing  about  her  as 
they  sat  down,  she  noted  a  half-amused  expres- 
sion on  some  faces,  though  most  of  them  showed 
only  blank  indifference. 

The  people  loved  Brother  Butler,  however,  and 
there  was  a  slight  stir  of  disappointment  when, 
after  the  prayer,  he  announced  that  one  far 
more  able  and  worthy  than  himself  had  kindly 
consented  to  address  them. 

"  Now,  my  friends,"  began  Sin  Killer  Jones 
advancing  and  mopping  his  face  with  a  large  red 
bandanna  handkerchief,  "  as  it  is  a  very  warm 
evening,  I  will  make  my  discourse  shorter  than 
usual." 

"  Amen,"  came  from  a  deaf  member,  who  was 
apt  to  fill  all  pauses  in  the  sermon  in  this  man- 
ner. The  preacher  glared  in  his  direction  and 
proceeded  with  his  address,  which  in  spite  of  his 
introductory  remark  lasted  for  three-quarters 
of  an  hour.  It  was  thrilling  and  to  the  point, 
but  hardly  comforting  to  sinners.  At  its  close 
"  Brother  Bean  "  was  requested  to  pass  round 
the  plate. 


136  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Where  at,"  murmured  the  good  brother  look- 
ing for  it  in  vain,  to  discover  it  finally  under 
Doc's  feet. 

"  Say,  Doc,  don't  that  old  raw-bones  always 
give  you  the  cold  shivers? ''  whispered  Harry. 
"  He  plumb  scares  me  and  makes  me  feel  like  I'd 
got  to  hurry  up  and  repent." 

"  Shucks !  He  don't  know  any  more  about  a 
future  life  than  we  do.  Anyhow,  the  Lord  knows 
we  don't  get  much  of  a  show  down  here,"  an- 
swered the  philosophic  Doc. 

Tom  had  been  watching  Marian  intently  dur- 
ing the  sermon,  wondering  if  it  would  ever  be 
possible  for  a  girl  like  that  to  care  for  him.  He 
misinterpreted  the  satisfaction  in  Hyslop's  face, 
but  as  they  left  the  church  he  whispered  eagerly, 
"  Say,  Tom,  I'm  glad  that  old  sinner  is  down 
here.  I've  got  pretty  near  enough  evidence  to  jail 
him,  and  I'll  just  keep  my  eye  on  him.  He's  a 
great  one  to  preach  repentance." 

During  the  walk  home  Jay  was  quite  willing 
to  take  charge  of  the  ladies,  while  Tom  and 
Hyslop  behind  them  discussed  matters  of  great 
importance  to  the  whole  community.  They  felt 
that  the  co-operation  of  all  able  men  was  needed 
to  avert  the  dangers  that  threatened  them  from 
the  band  of  outlaws. 

Jay  was  more  than  usually  debonair.    Nothing 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  137 

could  trouble  him  at  that  moment,  but  the  fact 
that  he  could  not  have  Marian  all  to  himself. 
He  felt,  however,  that  he  could  afiPord  to  be  pa- 
tient, for  her  encouraging  remark  upon  the  drive 
and  the  smile  which  accompanied  it,  made  him 
feel  that  she  looked  upon  him  with  a  favor  she 
had  shown  to  no  one  else. 


138  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

"  I'm  glad  we  waited  over  for  this,"  said  Mar- 
ian ecstatically,  as  she  took  her  seat  on  the 
ricketty  grand-stand  between  her  cousin  Bess 
and  Mrs.  Houston. 

"  I  enjoy  watching  it  once  a  year,"  answered 
Mrs.  Houston.  "  It's  only  at  the  County  Fair 
that  we  manage  to  get  enough  people  together 
for  a  really  good  tournament  and  roping  contest. 
I  hope  our  boys  won't  get  hurt.  They  usually 
carry  off  all  the  prizes,"  she  added  proudly. 

"  I  can  hardly  wait  for  it  to  begin.  I'm  so 
excited ! "  exclaimed  Marian,  and  as  crowds  of 
men  and  boys  walked  into  the  inclosure  she 
watched  eagerly  for  Tom  and  Jay,  humming  un- 
consciously, "  I've  crossed  deep  waters  for  you, 
my  dear." 

"  Here  come  the  contestants,"  she  called  out 
joyfully  as  she  ceased  her  humming  and  leaned 
forward  eagerly. 

"The  which?"  asked  the  irrepressible  Bess. 
"  Isn't  Tom  grand,  Madge?  " 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  139 

"Oh,  always  Tom!  I  think  Jay  is  just  too 
fascinating." 

"  Why,  Marian !  don't  you  like  Tom?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do." 

"  Jay  is  too  small  for  you " 

"  I  don't  see  that  one  inch  is  an  inseparable 
barrier,"  Marian  snapped  out  with  unwonted 
force. 

Hetty  looked  up  in  surprise.  The  timid  little 
southern  girl  had  not  been  accustomed  to  speak 
as  freely  as  the  independent  northern  girl. 
W^hile  she  admired  her  unassuming  frankness, 
her  bright  intelligence  and  thought  her  accent 
charming,  she  felt  a  little  shocked  at  her  free- 
dom of  speech  concerning  a  subject  which  she 
herself  never  broached  except  with  the  greatest 
reverence. 

"  Would  you  marry  a  man  shorter  than  your- 
self?" inquired  Bess  intent  on  provoking  her 
cousin,  in  which  attempt  she  succeeded  admi- 
rably. 

"We  weren't  speaking  of  marriage,"  she  an- 
swered with  spirit.  "  I  wouldn't  marry  any  man, 
whoever  he  happened  to  be,  and  live  outside  of 
New  York." 

The  controversy  was  ended  as  the  boys  who 
were  to  run  in  the  tournament  formed  into  line, 
their  strong,  athletic  figures  being  a  goodly  sight. 


140  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Five  poles  stood  in  succession  on  the  track,  each 
one  bearing  a  ring  suspended  from  the  top. 
Every  rider  held  a  long  pole  like  a  lance  in  his 
hand  and  was  to  remove  the  rings  by  running 
this  lance  through  them  while  riding  at  full 
speed. 

The  first  rider  started  and  came  at  a  rapid 
pace.  He  missed  the  first  ring,  speared  the  sec- 
ond and  third,  then  the  fifth,  drawing  up  his 
horse  so  sharply  at  the  turn  that  he  nearly  fell 
over  backwards. 

"  Good !  Good !  '^  rang  out  from  the  crowd, 
and  the  next  rider  started  at  full  gallop,  carry- 
ing off  three  of  the  rings.  Then  the  Tadpole 
achieved  some  glory  and  a  lame  wrist.  After 
him  came  Harry  and  one  or  two  strangers,  all 
with  fair  success,  but  not  one  carrying  off  all  the 
rings.  Then  came  Jay  and  Doc,  who  each  got 
four,  and  were  loudly  applauded.  Now  Walter 
advanced. 

"  How  fair  and  slender  and  boyish  he  looks ! " 
cried  Marian  while  Mrs.  Houston  leaned  forward 
anxiously. 

"  Go  on,  Walt ! "  yelled  the  boys,  and  on  he 
rushed,  carrying  off  the  first,  second,  third, 
fourth  and  fifth,  amid  deafening  applause.  Mar- 
ian stood  up,  waving  her  handkerchief  frantic- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  141 

ally  as  Walter  wheeled  his  horse  and  rode  by 
the  grandstand,  carrying  the  blue  flag. 

"Isn^t  Tom  going  to  try?'^  she  asked  in  sur- 
prise as  the  line  broke  up. 

"No!"  said  his  aunt  "Not  this  time.  He 
pretends  it's  to  save  himself  for  the  roping,  but 
I  know  him ; "  and  she  smiled  tenderly. 

"Wasn't  that  grand?"  cried  Jay  as  he  rode 
up,  his  eyes  shining  with  excitement. 

"  Yes,  indeed.  Now  you  must  win  the  roping 
contest,"  she  called  back,  tossing  him  the  rose 
she  held  in  her  hand,  which  he  caught  and  fast- 
ened to  the  side  of  his  sombrero. 

"  Step  this  way  for  the  grandstand !  "  shouted 
the  gate-keeper.  "  Right  smart  of  people  here," 
he  added  in  a  lower  tone  to  Hyslop  who  stood 
near  him.  "All  the  notables  in  the  country; 
and  look  at  the  ladies !  It  just  does  me  good  to 
see  so  many  of  'em  together.    God  bless  'em," 

Against  the  fence  opposite  was  propped  a  half 
drunken  Mexican  yelling  excitedly. 

"Hurrah  for  Gilly  Jakes!  He's  the  d— dest 
son  of  a  gun,  and  the  best  feller  in  this  country. 
May  he  win  this  race." 

"  By  all  the  gods !    Picarda !  "  gasped  Hyslop 
as  he  recognized  him.    "  Of  all  the  brass,  this  is 
the  limit— the  '  ne  plus  ultra '  so  to  speak." 
"  Do  you  suppose  Jakes  will  really  have  the 


142  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

cheek  to  show  up?  "  he  continued  turning  to  his 
friend. 

"  Why  not?  He  hasn't  an  idea  that  we  even 
suspect  him.  Get  Picarda  off  quietly,  then  lay 
in  wait  for  Jakes.  If  you  get  him,  you'll  have  the 
whole  gang.  Gosh!  but  it's  cruel  we  can't  have 
the  help  of  Mayberry  and  Carruth!  How  can 
such  men  be  kin  to  Joe?  Keep  the  Mexican  in 
sight,  and  watch  your  chance.  Here  come  the 
men,  but  Jakes  isn't  among  'em." 

During  this  side  play  our  friends  were  wait- 
ing impatiently  for  the  roping  contest  to  begin. 
Marian  was  listening  in  half  amused  interest  to 
the  conversation  of  two  men  near  her. 

"  I  holler  for  Tom  Mayberry,"  one  of  them  said 
positively.  "  He'll  win.  He  always  wins  every- 
thing he  sets  out  to.  He  just  naturally  flows 
through  any  kind  of  an  obstacle.  Do  you  remem- 
ber the  work  he  done  when  he  was  sheriff?  " 

"  Yes.    What  in  h— 11  did  he  give  it  up  for?  " 

"Why,  he  was  afraid  he'd  have  to  arrest  his 
cousin.  Jay's  brother,  you  know." 

"  Jay's  my  man,"  the  other  said  just  as  em- 
phatically. "  Look  at  him.  There's  a  stocky 
young  Hercules  for  you.  I  don't  care  if  he  has 
got  a  no-count  brother.  He's  as  good  a  man  as 
Tom  Mayberry,  in  his  own  way.  And — Lord! 
Hain't  he  got  a  temper !  "  he  added  in  tones  of 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  143 

the  deepest  admiration.  "  Do  jou  remember  the 
day  he  hung  his  gold  watch  up  on  a  tree  and  shot 
it  all  to  pieces,  'cause  it  wouldn't  go?  Things 
has  just  got  to  go  with  him,  or  there's  trouble 
you  bet ! " 

"  Look !  They're  leading  in  the  bulls !  "  called 
Marian  in  excitement. 

"  You  act  like  you'd  never  seen  a  bull  before," 
said  Bess  rather  crossly. 

"Here  come  the  men,"  cried  Marian  unheed- 
ing her  cousin's  remark.  "  How  strong  they 
look!" 

She  saw  the  rose  in  Jay's  sombrero,  but  could 
not  hear  Tom  humming,  "  I'd  cross  deep  waters 
for  you,  my  dear." 

"Let's  do  a  little  betting,"  called  out  Bess. 
"  I'll  bet  six  bits  on  Harry." 

"  I'll  double  that  for  Jay.  Won't  you  bet  on 
Tom,  Mrs.  Houston?"  But  that  lady  smiled  as 
she  shook  her  head  reprovingly. 

The  Judge  called  out  the  name  of  Giles  Jakes, 
one  of  the  champion  ropers  of  the  state.  A  huge 
bull  was  let  out  of  the  inclosure,  and  the  cus- 
tomary tin  can  fired  at  him.  Giles  held  his 
prancing  horse  firmly  until  the  bull  had  run  his 
fifty  yards,  then  horse  and  rider  dashed  forward 
as  if  shot  out  of  a  cannon.  As  they  neared  the 
bull  the  long  lasso,  which  had  been  coiled  in  the 


144  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

rider's  right  hand,  went  whistling  through  the 
air,  and  settled  upon  the  great  beast,  which 
went  down  with  a  thud.  Jakes  and  the  horse  to- 
gether made  a  quick  pull  backward,  and,  with- 
out touching  the  saddle,  the  man  sprang  to  the 
ground,  the  horse  holding  the  rope  tight  while 
Jakes  with  a  smaller  rope  tied  first  the  hind  legs, 
then  the  fore  legs  of  the  prostrate  bull.  Quickly 
slipping  the  rope  from  the  horns,  he  held  up  both 
hands  as  a  signal,  "  It  is  done.'' 

"  One  minute  and  a  half !  "  roared  the  judges, 
followed  by  a  burst  of  clapping  and  a  chorus  of 
cowboy  yells,  but  the  Mexican  was  not  there  to 
enjoy  his  triumph. 

The  next  man  was,  according  to  general  ver- 
dict, "  rotten,"  "  limp,"  "  doggy." 

"  Oh !  Take  me  home  to  Mamma ! "  called 
Jay's  champion,  after  a  few  others  had  made  one 
slip  or  another  in  starting  too  soon,  allowing  the 
bull  to  escape  before  being  tied,  or  not  catching 
him  at  all. 

"  They'd  shoot  men  like  that  in  the  low  coun- 
try," growled  a  man  near  them. 

"  They  talk  big  about  shootin'  on  the  prairie," 
retorted  Bess,  "  but  when  it  comes  to  the  real 
thing,  I  reckon  we  can  shoot  some  up  here." 

"  Why  do  they  allow  poor  ropers  to  compete?  " 
asked  Marian. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  145 

"  Anyone  can  enter  the  lists  who  pays  the  fee,'' 
explained  Mrs.  Houston,  "  and  then  it's  some- 
what dependent  on  luck.  It  depends  much  on 
the  horse,  and  the  particular  bull,  as  well  as  the 
man.  I  have  seen  very  skilful  ropers  go  all  to 
pieces  in  a  contest.  We  have  some  expert  throw- 
ers round  here,  and  they  are  well  known,  too," 
she  added  with  pride. 

"  That  fool  ain't  one  on  'em,  then,''  interposed 
the  sociable  individual  indicating  the  performing 
roper  before  them.  "  He  couldn't  get  to  do  it  in 
a  year." 

"  The  bull's  going  to  chew  him  up  directly," 
answered  his  friend.  "  Now  we'll  see  some- 
thing," as  the  baflfied  roper  retired  discomfited 
and  advanced  to  take  his  place. 

The  weary  spectators  straightened  themselves 
and  then  bent  forward  expectantly  as  Jay  dashed 
after  the  bull,  catching  him  with  one  throw,  and 
tying  him  up  in  just  a  minute,  amid  prolonged 
cheering. 

Harry  Newman  came  next.  He  succeeded  in 
roping  the  bull  but  his  horse  fell,  sending  the 
long,  slim  figure  of  his  owner  over  his  head ;  but 
he  was  up  in  a  jiffy  and  the  bull  was  caught  and 
tied  in  one  minute  and  fifty  seconds,  in  spite 
of  the  mishap.  Then  poor  Harry  limped  off 
10 


146  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

amid  uproars  of  praise  and  exclamations  of  en- 
couragement. 

Doc's  bull,  with  an  unexpected  jerk,  tore  the 
young  man  from  the  saddle,  leaving  him  sprawl- 
ing apparently  lifeless  on  the  ground,  his  horse 
standing  over  him.  A  hush  fell  on  the  specta- 
tors as  his  friends  gathered  round  him. 

"  It  looks  like  he  was  hurt  bad,''  said  the  com- 
municative gentleman. 

"  Only  a  sprained  ankle,  a  bruised  wrist,  and  a 
little  finger  broken,"  roared  the  judge  as  Doc  was 
assisted  from  the  field.  "  Let  the  next  man  come 
on." 

"  It  really  is  a  cruel  practice,"  said  Marian 
trembling. 

"  It  is  indeed,"  assented  Mrs.  Houston,  "  and 
the  feeling  against  it  is  growing  so  that  it  may 
soon  be  forbidden  and  roping  contests  will  be  a 
thing  of  the  past.  Moreover,  the  animals  which 
are  roped  are  almost  valueless  afterward,  except 
for  killing  and  eating.  The  boys  in  the  fields 
rope  a  cow  only  to  lead  her;  they  never  throw 
her,  as  they  do  at  these  contests." 

Now  the  name  of  Tom  Mayberry  was  called, 
and  Marian's  heart  beat  wildly.  Her  nerves 
were  getting  at  high  tension,  and  she  gave  an 
unconscious  little  spring  as  he  darted  like  an 
arrow  after  the  flying  bull.    One  quick  throw,  a 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  147 

sudden  spring,  a  few  rapid  movements,  and  his 
hands  went  up  in  just  thirty-eight  seconds  from 
the  start. 

"  Wonderful !  "  gasped  Marian.  "  I've  lost !  " 
she  said,  turning  with  beaming  face  to  Bess, 
while  Mrs.  Houston's  countenance  glowed  with 
pride  in  her  nephew. 

Bess,  who  had  apparently  lost  all  interest  in 
the  contest  after  Harry's  mishap,  brightened  a 
little. 

"  I  lost  on  Harry,  but  won  on  Tom,  so  I'm  six 
bits  ahead,"  she  said. 

"  That  last  was  plumb  fine,"  said  Tom's  cham- 
pion. "  I  reckon  his  piety  ain't  spiled  him  a 
mite.  You-all  from  the  low  country  can't  beat 
that  nohow,"  said  he  turning  to  the  stranger  who 
had  no  more  to  say. 

"  The  three  prizes  are  awarded  to  Mayberry, 
Carruth  and  Jakes,"  called  the  Judge ;  and  amid 
storms  of  applause  Tom  rode  up  to  the  Judge's 
bench,  waving  a  blue  flag,  followed  by  Jay  with 
a  red  one.  The  Judge  waited  a  moment,  but 
Jakes  did  not  appear. 

"  Will  someone  look  for  Jakes?  "  roared  the 
Judge.  At  that  moment  a  small  boy  rode  up  to 
the  Judge's  bench  and  handed  him  a  letter. 
After  reading  this  the  Judge  called  out,  ^^  Jakes 
has  left  town  on  business.  He  will  receive  his 
reward  through  our  aojent.    The  contest  is  over." 


148  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"  Who  do  you  suppose  is  in  the  next  room?  " 
asked  Bess  of  Marian  the  afternoon  after  the 
roping  contest. 

"  Can't  imagine." 

"  Why,  that  slick  looking  man  we  saw  yester- 
day at  the  roping,  talking  with  Tom  and  Hyslop. 
I  reckon  they'll  ask  him  to  go  to  the  sociable 
with  us  to-night." 

"  But,  Huns,"  interposed  Hetty,  "  don't  you 
know  it's  raining  and  there  won't  be  any  soci- 
able?" 

"  No  sociable ! "  exclaimed  both  girls  in  dis- 
appointment. 

"  But,  Miss  Hetty,"  said  Marian  in  surprise, 
"  this  little  drizzle  won't  make  any  difference, 
will  it?  Why,  in  New  York,  we  wouldn't  even 
call  it  rain." 

"  No  one  ever  goes  anywhere  down  here  if  it 
even  looks  like  rain.  W^e-all  can't  stand  what 
you  northern  girls  can,"  and  Hetty  looked  with 
admiration  at  Marian's  superb  figure. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  149 

Meanwhile  in  the  adjoining  room  a  conversa- 
tion of  much  greater  importance  was  going  on. 

"  We  got  them  easy/'  chuckled  Hjslop.  "  Pi- 
carda  thought  he  was  being  arrested  for  drunk- 
enness and  making  a  disturbance;  but  Jakes 
was  the  surprisedest  man  I  ever  saw.  Thought 
he  was  being  pinched  for  carrying  concealed 
weapons  I  reckon.  He  looked  around  and  saw 
there  wasn't  any  help  for  it  and  came  along  like 
a  lamb." 

"  I  interviewed  them  this  morning,"  the 
stranger  added.  "  I've  got  enough  evidence 
about  the  other  to  get  a  warrant  out  for  his  ar- 
rest. W'e'll  nab  him  if  he  shows  up  at  the  so- 
ciable to-night." 

Tom  went  to  the  window.  "  I'm  afraid  there 
won't  be  any  sociable,"  he  said  in  a  tone  of  dis- 
appointment.   "  It's  beginning  to  rain." 

"  Cuss  the  luck !  "  said  the  stranger.  "  The 
man  will  get  away  by  to-morrow  and  he's  the 
only  one  who  will  give  evidence  against  Carruth. 
Not  a  word  can  we  get  out  of  Jakes,  nor  even 
Picarda." 

"  Do  you  know  why?  "  inquired  Hyslop. 

"  No." 

"  Well,  it's  because  they  know  for  a  dead  cer- 
tainty they  will  escape  if  they  hold  their  tongues, 
and  they'll  be  shot  if  they  don't.    Joe  Carruth  is 


150  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

protected  by  a  seven-headed  dragon,  who  loves 
him  with  all  the  strength  of  his  terrible  nature, 
and  who  has  no  principle  and  no  fear  in  dealing 
with  his  enemies ;  a  man  who  is  sharp  enough  to 
keep  himself  out  of  danger  from  the  law,  who 
is  a  wall  of  strength  to  his  friends  and  sure  death 
to  his  enemies.  We  can  never  find  proof  enough 
to  arrest  him,  but  we  know  the  man.'' 

"  Who  is  he?  ''  asked  Tom  excitedly. 

Hyslop  looked  at  him  a  moment,  then  in  a 
lowered  but  impressive  tone  he  answered,  "  Bill 
Wilder.'' 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  151 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

"  You  must  keep  your  temper  on  ice  to-night, 
Miss  Marian,"  laughed  Jay,  as  he  walked  by  her 
side  on  the  way  to  the  political  rally  the  next 
evening.  "  You  may  be  prepared  for  some  awful 
hits  at  the  Republicans  and  Northern  people  in 
general.  Hyslop  is  a  red-hot  Southerner  and 
Democrat,  and  he'll  say  what  he's  got  to  say  no 
matter  who's  there  to  hear  him." 

She  lifted  her  head  a  little  proudly.  "  I  don't 
think  I  shall  be  very  much  disturbed  at  his  crit- 
icisms," she  answered. 

They  found  the  schoolhouse  already  full  of 
people,  many  of  whom  Marian  recognized.  She 
cast  an  almost  frightened  glance  into  a  dark 
corner  and  instinctively  drew  nearer  Jay  as  her 
eyes  met  the  bold  ones  of  Bill  Wilder.  Not  far 
from  him  sat  Sin  Killer  Jones,  gazing  about  with 
his  usual  sanctimonious  expression.  Near  the 
place  where  they  took  their  own  seats,  she  recog- 
nized in  the  good-looking  stranger,  the  young 
companion  of  Hyslop  when  she  first  saw  them  on 


152  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

the  train,  and  between  tliem  and  the  door  were 
two  other  strangers.  As  Tom  came  in  with  his 
aunt  and  cousin  he  led  the  way  to  the  front  of  the 
room  followed  by  Bess  and  Harry,  so  Jay  and 
Marian  went  to  sit  with  them. 

"  The  women  seem  to  be  pretty  numerous  here 
to-night,"  a  man  remarked  to  the  speaker. 

"  Yes,  I  wish  to  heavens  they  were  not,"  an- 
swered Hyslop.  "  What  with  that  Northern  girl 
here  to  listen  to  what  I've  got  to  say,  and  other 
worries  which  I  can't  mention,  I  never  was  in 
such  a  state  of  mind  in  my  life ; "  and  he  nerv- 
ously wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead 
with  his  bandanna. 

"Well,  anyway,"  answered  his  friend,  trying 
to  encourage  him,  "  this  is  more  of  a  local  mu- 
tual improvement  affair  than  a  political  meeting. 
We're  goin'  to  get  the  ear  of  a  lot  of  these  fel- 
lows. Some  of  'em  may  be  killed  off  by  next  fall. 
The  women  folks  say  they  are  goin'  to  shut  up 
all  the  rum  shops  an'  gamblin'  dens  this  year. 
They've  got  a  mighty  big  job  on  their  hands." 

"When  they  get  it  done  the  bulls'll  all  be 
wearin'  white  robes,"  laughed  Hyslop. 

From  her  position  Marian  had  a  full  view  of 
the  room  which  seemed  to  her  utterly  devoid  of 
charm.  There  was  no  covering  on  the  boarded 
walls,  and  no  backs  to  the  benches  upon  which 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  153 

the  children  usually  sat.  These  benches  were 
now  filled  with  cowboys  and  cattlemen,  in  com- 
pany with  professional  men,  also  "  the  butcher, 
the  baker,  the  candlestick  maker,''  all  dressed  in 
the  same  fashion,  and  all,  with  few  exceptions, 
chewing  tobacco  and  looking  very  uncomfort- 
able because  they  couldn't  spit  on  the  floor.  Two 
old  ladies  in  a  distant  corner  were  sociably  dip- 
ping snuff  together.  Here  was  no  social  distinc- 
tion. Every  honest  white  man  was  as  good  as 
any  other  man,  whatever  his  occupation  or  finan- 
cial condition.  If  a  few  old  families  took  pleas- 
ure in  holding  themselves  aloof,  thereby  proving 
conclusively  to  themselves  their  superiority  to 
others,  nobody  interfered  with  their  pleasure,  for 
nobody  knew  of  it  except  the  members  of  their 
own  families. 

On  the  small  stove  in  the  center  of  the  room 
sat  the  County  Judge.  He  had  chosen  this  spot 
on  account  of  the  convenient  aperture  into  which 
he  could  spit;  and  also  because  he  knew  that  it 
would  be  a  popular  spot,  for  that  very  reason. 
The  crowd  which  pressed  around  it  proved  the 
wisdom  and  forethought  of  his  seething  brain. 

At  the  table  at  one  side  sat  the  newspaper  re- 
porter, and  on  the  table  itself  lolled  several  mem- 
bers of  the  Common  Council  all  deeply  engaged 
in  conversation.    The  speaker  of  the  evening,  Mr. 


154  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Hjslop,  seemed  quite  unlike  himself.  His  cheeks 
were  hollow,  his  eyes  encircled  by  dark  shadows, 
and,  as  his  eyes  rolled  nervously  about  the  room, 
they  visited  at  frequent  intervals  the  dark  corner 
where  Bill  Wilder  was  closely  watched  by  the 
stranger. 

When  the  time  came  for  him  to  address  the 
meeting,  he  rose  and  faced  the  assembly  with  im- 
pressive dignity.  A  deep  silence  fell  on  the  room. 
Then,  in  a  voice  rich  and  sonorous,  he  began. 
His  remarks  were  emphasized  by  violent  gestures 
with  his  long  arms,  and  were  abusive  or  extrava- 
gant, according  to  the  subject  upon  which  he 
touched. 

"  The  Republicans,"  he  said,  "  are  wholly  con- 
trolled by  a  few  rich  men,  who  insist  upon  Pro- 
tection and  the  Trusts,  simply  because  they  put 
money  into  their  pockets.  The  great  mass  of  the 
Republican  party  are  the  most  ignorant  of  the 
people  who  are  proud  to  be  bull-dozed  by  these 
nabobs  of  finance  and  who  would  sell  their  souls 
to  be  one  of  them,  as  they  are  now  selling  their 
bodies." 

"  Hear !  hear ! "  and  loud  hurrahs  broke  from 
the  audience  and  several  angry  glances  were 
directed  toward  Marian  as  the  representative  of 
a  northern  nabob. 

"  Can't  you  see,"  went  on  the  speaker,  "  that 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  155 

for  a  few  big  manufacturers  only  that  protection 
is  a  help  and  that  they  have  money  enough  to 
buy  their  way  into  politics,  or  to  bribe  those  who 
are  already  there?  Can't  you  see  how  the  Beef 
Trust  is  ruining  our  cattle  business?  When  we 
ship  our  cattle  to  Chicago  or  St.  Louis  we  can't 
afford  to  send  them  back,  so  we  are  at  their 
mercy  and  have  to  take  their  price.'' 

There  w^as  an  impressive  pause  during  which 
Marian  began  to  feel  that  there  might  be  some 
argument  on  the  Democratic  side  after  all,  an 
idea  which  she  had  never  harbored  before,  when 
the  speaker  thundered  out, 

"  The  Trusts  are  legalized  robbery  and  the  Re- 
publicans who  foster  them  are  robbers,  all  rob- 
bers! Grinding  down  the  hard  w^orking  people, 
half  of  them  through  ignorance,  the  other  half 
through  their  lack  of  the  Almighty  Dollar,  the 
greatest  power  in  this  glorious  country  of  ours! 
Look  at  Massachusetts.  That  grand  old  state, 
with  all  her  culture  and  her  wonderful  history! 
We  are  proud  of  her,  but  here  in  Texas  we  have 
something  greater  to  be  proud  of;  we  have  honest 
men ! " 

This  burst  of  oratory  was  received  with 
frenzied  applause  from  the  audience.  During 
this  noisy  demonstration  Bill  Wilder  and  his 
friend  Sin  Killer  Jones  attempted  to  stroll  care- 


156  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

lessly  from  the  room  but  were  stopped  at  the 
doorway  by  the  two  strangers  from  the  low  coun- 
try and  their  force  was  at  once  augmented  by  the 
man  who  had  sat  near  them. 

"  In  the  name  of  the  law/'  he  announced, 
grasping  the  arm  of  Sin  Killer  Jones,  "  I  have  a 
warrant  for  this  man's  arrest." 

Bill  Wilder  forced  the  man  back. 

"  Don't  let  Jones  escape !  "  screamed  the  man, 
"  He  is  the  one  who  killed  Kit  Packer ! " 

The  commotion  which  followed  was  terrible. 
Tom  and  Jay  stood  by  their  friends  upon  the 
platform  where  they  were  immediately  joined  by 
the  other  women  in  the  audience,  with  the  men 
who  had  them  in  charge.  Several  of  the  lamps 
were  shot  out  and  in  the  almost  total  darkness 
could  be  heard  the  sound  of  breaking  glass, 
tramping  feet,  and  angry  voices. 

"  Take  the  girls  out  at  that  side  door  and  get 
them  out  of  town  as  soon  as  you  can,"  com- 
manded Hyslop  excitedly.  "  I'll  not  answer  for 
what  the  boys  will  do  with  Jones,  if  they  get 
him.  That  sheriff  is  an  ass.  I  wouldn't  have  had 
him  blunder  that-a-way  for  all  the  world." 

"You  don't  mean  that  they'll  lynch  him?" 
gasped  Marian. 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  answered  evasively,  "  but 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  157 

you  girls  can't  do  any  good,  and  the  sooner  you 
get  out  the  better  for  you." 

"  Promise  me  you  will  do  all  in  your  power  to 
prevent  it,"  she  said,  turning  to  Tom  feeling  in- 
stinctively that  he  was  the  man  upon  whom  to 
depend.  "  I  will  not  leave  till  you  promise  that," 
she  added  as  he  hesitated. 

"  I'd  rather  see  him  lynched  than  have  him 
escape,"  he  muttered. 

Marian  still  looked  at  him. 

"  Yes,"  he  finally  consented  looking  her  full  in 
the  face.  "  I  promise  you  he  shall  not  be  lynched 
if  I  can  prevent  it.    Now  will  you  go?  " 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  and  Tom  quickly  led 
them  through  the  side  door.  "  Hyslop,"  he  said 
authoratively,  "  let  the  boys  attend  to  Jones ;  you 
take  Aunt  Mary  home.  Jay,  you  see  to  Hetty, 
and  Harry  and  I  will  get  Miss  Marian  and  Bess 
down  to  the  station  in  time  for  the  eleven  o'clock 
train." 

"  I'll  be  there  in  time  to  say  good-by,"  whis- 
pered Jay,  grasping  Marian's  hand  in  the  dark- 
ness. 

"  Yes,  do,"  she  answered  mechanically,  then 
added,  "  you  will  help  Tom  carry  out  his  promise, 
won't  you?  " 

"  Sure.    Now  we'd  better  hustle." 


158  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Outside,  the  street  seemed  full  of  a  howling 
mob,  which  they  skirted  skillfully. 

They  had  hardly  entered  the  station  when 
Harry  and  Jay  hurried  up  to  them. 

"  You  certainly  did  hurry,'^  Marian  exclaimed. 

"  You  bet  we  did !  Here's  your  grips,  and 
Harry's  going  with  you.  Here  comes  the  train ;  " 
and  Marian  was  on  board  before  she  realized 
what  was  happening.  Leaning  from  the  window 
she  held  her  hand  out  to  Jay  who  gave  it  a  tender 
pressure,  then  to  Tom  saying  earnestly,  "  You 
will  not  forget  your  promise?  " 

"  Never !  "  he  said  seriously,  and  then  the  train 
started,  leaving  the  two  cousins  together. 

"  Where  are  we  going,  Bess?  "  asked  Marian. 

"  To  Athens,  on  the  Gulf.  Aunt  Kate  lives 
there.  She's  Maw's  sister,"  and  Bess  lapsed  into 
her  moody  silence. 

"  We  won't  let  anything  happen  to  you,  Miss 
Bess,"  said  Harry  tenderly,  but  he  could  win  no 
smile  from  the  girl. 

"  Athens  is  a  fine  city,"  he  went  on  turning  to 
Marian.  "  It  has  a  college  and  churches  and 
theatres.  You'll  find  people  of  education  there, 
just  like  New  York.  There'll  be  lots  of  your 
kind  of  society,  and  you'll  forget  us  all  in  no 
time." 

^'1  can  never  forget  this  night,  anyway,"  re- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  159 

plied  Marian.  "  I  wonder  what  is  happening  at 
Xantus  now.  I  never  wanted  to  be  a  man  before, 
but  it  is  so  ignominious  to  be  hustled  out  of  the 
way.  If  I  were  a  man  I'd  stop  that  lynching! " 
and  her  eyes  flashed  with  determination. 

"  Well,  it  ain't  so  easy  to  stop  a  lynching  when 
the  boys  are  set  on  it,  and  if  you  were  a  man, 
Miss  Marian,  you'd  be  only  one^  you  know,"  he 
answered  quizzically. 

A  long  pause  followed,  broken  suddenly  by 
the  quick  stopping  of  the  train,  hurried  running 
to  and  fro  by  the  train  officials,  then  the  con- 
ductor called  out, — 

"  All  change  here.    Train  wreck  ahead." 

"  More  dirty  work  I'm  afraid,"  said  Harry  put- 
ting his  arm  about  Bess  and  hustling  her  out. 
Passing  by  the  wrecked  freight  cars,  and  the 
crowds  of  people  surrounding  them,  they  ran  to 
a  train  which  was  waiting  a  little  up  the  track. 
A  rabble  of  people  were  falling  over  each  other 
in  their  haste  to  secure  seats  and  in  the  confusion 
Marian  found  herself  separated  from  her  com- 
panions. 

"  I  suppose  they  are  somewhere  on  the  train," 
she  thought,  "  but  what  could  I  do  if  they  were 
not?  They  have  my  bag  and  I  don't  even  know 
Aunt  Kate's  last  name." 

Just  then  she  felt  a  light  touch  on  her  arm, 


160  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

and  turning  quickly  she  saw  a  man  she  had  seen 
with  Tom  at  the  political  meeting.  He  seemed 
almost  like  a  friend  amid  that  crowd  of  stran- 
gers, especially  as  she  noted  that  he  held  her  grip 
in  his  hand,  so  she  greeted  him  with  cordiality. 

"  Harry  asked  me  look  out  for  you,  and  gave 
me  your  grip.  He  found  it  was  all  he  could  do 
to  take  care  of  Miss  Bess.  He  didn't  know  who 
he  might  meet  in  that  throng.  I've  been  right 
behind  you,  but  didn't  want  to  startle  you." 

"  Oh,  thank  you !  "  she  said,  "  but  how  did  you 
get  here?  " 

"  I  followed  on  the  express  which  was  half  an 
hour  after  yours.  Jones  and  Wilder  disappeared 
in  the  scrimmage  and  the  boys  sent  me  along  to 
see  if  they  were  on  the  train.  I  wanted  to  get 
back  to-night,  so  it  suited  me  to  a  T.  They 
weren't  on  the  train,  so  I  reckon  the  boys'll  get 
them  yet. 

"  But  there  goes  our  train,"  he  exclaimed, 
making  a  vain  effort  to  get  through  the  mass  of 
people  as  the  train  started. 

"  Won't  Bess  and  Harry  wait  for  us?  " 

"  Perhaps  they  can't.  If  they  are  on  the  train 
they  couldn't  get  off,  with  that  gang  surrounding 
it.  What  shall  we  do?  "  and  he  glanced  at  her 
with  helpless  appeal. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER,  161 

"  You  don't  blame  me,  do  you?  "  he  asked. 

"  Not  at  all.'' 

"  I  hope  you're  not  afraid  of  me?  " 

She  looked  at  his  somewhat  boyish  face 
with  ill-suppressed  amusement  as  she  answered 
serenely, 

''  Oh,  not  in  the  least." 

"  Well,  you  northern  girls  are  just  splen- 
did," he  said  with  enthusiasm.  "  Suppose  we 
hunt  for  a  place  to  get  something  to  eat;  I'm 
nearly  famished." 

They  made  their  w^ay  through  the  crowd  to  a 
small  lunch  room. 

"  I  believe  I'm  rather  hungry  myself,"  said 
Marian,  who  began  to  enjoy  her  adventure  now 
that  her  fears  were  allayed.  "  Father  always 
told  me  if  I  ever  fell  in  love  with  a  poor  man,  not 
to  let  him  see  me  eat.  It  would  discourage  him 
completely." 

"  W^ould  you  really  marry  a  poor  man?"  he 
asked  sentimentally. 

"  Of  course,  if  I  loved  him,"  she  replied  in  a 
matter-of-fact  tone.  "  Why  don't  they  bring  us 
some  plates? "  she  added  seeing  a  platter  of 
chops  slapped  down  in  front  of  her  by  an  ener- 
getic w^aiter. 

"  Ain't  that  platter  good  enough  to  eat  off 
11 


162  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

of? "  said  the  waiter.  "  Anyway,  it's  that  or 
nothin'.    We're  short  of  plates." 

"  Well,  may  I  have  a  fork  or  must  I  eat  with 
my  fingers? "  she  said  good-naturedly,  and  he 
obligingly  came  back  with  a  fork  and  a  cup  of 
coffee  which  might  well  be  called  a  bowl. 

"  I  haven't  introduced  myself,"  suggested  the 
man  handing  her  a  somewhat  spacious  visiting 
card,  on  which  was  engraved  "  Charles  Oster- 
handt."  "  I  am  an  instructor  in  the  law  school  at 
Athens.  If  you  will  come  down  to  the  college  I 
will  show  you  one  that  will  compare  favorably 
with  any  of  your  colleges  in  the  East.  Where  are 
you  visiting?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  Mrs.  Daniel  Luce's  sister 
Kate's,"  she  said,  "  but  I  don't  know  her  last 
name." 

"  You  take  it  calmly,"  he  answered,  looking  at 
her  with  admiration.  "  How  do  you  expect  to 
find  her?" 

"  Oh,  I'll  be  sure  to  find  her,"  she  began,  but 
was  interrupted  by  her  cousin  Bess,  who  dashed 
into  the  room  quite  out  of  breath,  followed  by  the 
faithful  Harry. 

^'  We  stopped  the  train  and  got  off  when  we 
found  you  weren't  on  it,"  she  panted.  "  They 
told  us  they  saw  you-all  come  in  here,  so  we  came 
too.     They  are  waiting  the  train  for  us,  but  I 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  163 

reckon  they  can  wait  a  little  longer  while  I  get  a 
bite  to  eat.  It  is  wonderful  how  any  excitement 
will  give  one  an  appetite." 

Whereupon  Bess  fell  to  devouring  the  rations 
which  Harry  had  ordered  for  her,  while  Marian 
regarded  her  with  an  amused  smile  on  her  face. 
"  Fancy,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  stopping  the  cars 
for  one  of  the  passengers  to  get  a  lunch."  Then 
thinking  for  a  moment  she  turned  to  Osterhandt. 
"  What  made  you  arrest  those  men  right  in  the 
midst  of  the  lecture?  "  she  asked. 

"  Because  they  were  going  to  stroll  out  and 
get  away  from  us,"  he  answered.  "  I  am  sorry 
that  we  had  to  make  such  a  commotion  but  no- 
body could  have  done  differently." 

The  company  looked  sober  for  a  w^hile  till  Os- 
terhandt remarked  with  the  Southerner's  non- 
chalance, 

"  The  thing  to  be  regretted  most  of  all  is  that 
we  missed  the  temperance  lecture." 


164  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

The  girls  had  arrived  at  their  destination  in 
safety,  and  had  been  enthusiastically  welcomed 
by  "  Aunt  Kate." 

Three  weeks  had  elapsed,  in  which  time  the 
girls  had  found  themselves  very  much  improved 
in  health  and  spirits.  Marian  was  delighted 
with  the  half  Spanish  city  with  its  narrow 
streets,  its  houses  built  about  an  open  court,  the 
gardens  filled  with  banana  trees  and  brilliant 
blossomed  cacti;  the  white  adobe  public  build- 
ings glistening  in  the  sunlight,  and  the  pretenti- 
ous looking  University. 

Every  one  in  Athens  had  heard  of  "  Wild  Bill," 
"  Sin  "Killer  Jones,"  of  Tom  Mayberry,  of  James 
Carruth,  and  of  the  part  the  two  girls  had  played 
in  the  recent  stirring  events. 

Marian,  anxious  to  learn  the  outcome  of  the 
momentous  evening  at  Xantus,  and  feeling  sure 
that  Osterhandt  w^ould  know  all  about  it,  begged 
her  cousin  to  go  with  her  to  the  University.  So, 
under  the  escort  of  a  very  youthful  student  of  the 
University  whom  they  had  met  at  Aunt  Kate's, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  165 

thej  reached  the  college,  to  find  that  Mr.  Oster- 
handt  was  attending  a  lecture  on  Political  Econ- 
omy. "  Would  the  ladies  like  to  step  in  and  lis- 
ten to  the  lecture  till  Mr.  Osterhandt  was  at  lib- 
erty? "  Certainly  they  would,  and  they  were  ac- 
cordingly ushered  into  a  large  hall  full  of  stud- 
ents. Some  of  these  students  were  busily  taking 
notes,  but  many  of  them  were  leaning  back  half 
asleep;  a  gentle  buzz  of  whispering  filled  the  air. 

Mr.  Osterhandt  crossed  the  room  to  them  at 
once  and  began  conversing  with  them  in  an  un- 
dertone, which  greatly  annoyed  the  lecturer.  As 
Mr.  Osterhandt  turned  again  to  continue  his 
note-taking  the  girls  carelessly  whispered  to  their 
young  companion. 

^^  If  that  young  man  with  his  two  aunts  cannot 
listen  to  my  lecture  he  had  better  leave  the 
room,"  the  lecturer  paused  to  remark,  not  look- 
ing at  any  one  in  particular. 

Osterhandt  was  indignant,  Bess  boiled  with 
ineffectual  wrath,  the  young  student  was  evi- 
dently frightened,  and  Marian,  feeling  very  much 
ashamed  of  her  carelessness,  glanced  from  under 
her  large  hat  to  see  if  anyone  was  looking  at 
them.  No  one  appeared  to  have  heard  his  re- 
mark. The  busy  ones  scribbled  on  and  the  lazy 
ones  did  not  turn  their  heads.  Even  the  lecturer 
had  his  eyes  on  the  floor. 


166  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  These  people  are  certainly  more  courteous 
than  we  would  be/'  she  thought. 

"  I  wouldn't  have  had  that  happen  for  a 
pretty,"  remarked  Osterhandt  as  he  joined  them 
after  the  lecture,  "  but  old  Winterbottom  is  an 
awful  crank." 

"  We  certainly  deserved  it,"  said  Marian  hon- 
estly. 

"  Shall  I  show  you  round  the  college?  " 

"  I'd  love  to  see  it,  but  do  tell  us  at  once  about 
Sin  Killer  Jones." 

Osterhandt  looked  angry.  "  I  hate  to  talk 
about  it.  It's  a  disgrace  to  the  community. 
They  all  slipped  through  their  fingers.  Jones, 
Jakes,  Picardo,  and  even  Bill  Wilder  disap- 
peared. They  must  get  lots  of  help  somewhere, 
but  they  can't  escape  us  much  longer.  The  coun- 
try is  too  much  worked  up  over  their  outrages. 
That  w^reck  was  evidently  the  work  of  some  of 
the  gang." 

"  Is  Mr.  Hyslop  a  detective?  "  asked  Marian  in 
a  lowered  tone,  "  and  are  you  interested  in  the 
case?  " 

The  young  man  stared  at  her  with  a  startled 
expression  on  his  boyish  face.  "  Where  did  you 
get  that  notion?"  he  stammered.  Then,  before 
she  could  answer,  he  added,  "  Don't,  for  Heaven's 
sake,  mention  such  a  surmise  to  anyone  else." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  167 

By  this  time  the  party  had  reached  a  room  at 
the  end  of  the  corridor.  *^  This  is  the  laboratory," 
he  explained.  "  The  boys  are  listening  to  a  lec- 
ture on  the  deleterious  effects  of  alcohol.  Shall 
we  enter?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  she  replied.  "  We  might  re- 
ceive another  reprimand,  and  as  I  never  take 
alcohol  in  any  form  I'm  not  in  need  of  the  warn- 
ing." 

"  Then  you  are  not  afraid  of  filling  a  drunk- 
ard's grave?  " 

"  She'd  fill  one  all  right,  if  she  ever  got  into 
it,"  interrupted  Bess. 

Osterhandt  laughed,  but  looked  at  Marian's 
athletic  figure  with  admiration. 

"  This  is  the  president's  office,"  he  said  as  he 
knocked  at  a  door  on  the  left.  Hearing  a  call, 
"  Come  in,"  they  entered. 

In  the  center  of  a  large  comfortably-furnished 
room  sat  a  stalwart  individual  smoking  a  cigar- 
ette, his  feet  resting  upon  the  desk  in  front  of 
him,  and  a  large  pile  of  papers  on  the  chair  be- 
side him. 

As  the  ladies  entered  he  hastily  removed  his 
feet  from  the  desk,  threw  away  his  cigarette, 
and  rising,  came  forward  to  greet  them  with 
fine  courtesy,  in  strong  contrast  to  his  former 
appearance. 


168  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  meet  you,  ladies,"  lie  said, 
giving  them  seats. 

After  a  short  conversation,  Marian  rose  to  go, 
murmuring,  "  We  must  not  take  up  any  more  of 
your  time." 

Bess  looked  surprised  and  he  answered,  "  My 
time  is  yours.  I  am  never  too  busy  to  talk  with 
the  ladies,  and  it  is  seldom  we  have  visitors  from 
the  North."  Then  turning  to  Osterhandt  he  con- 
tinued, "  You  ought  to  get  up  a  picnic  or  some 
entertainment  essentially  southern  to  amuse  the 
ladies;  a  lynching  bee  for  instance,"  and  he 
laughed  as  at  a  great  joke. 

Marian  shuddered.  "  We  came  all  too  near 
witnessing  a  lynching  at  Xantus,"  she  said,  and 
related  a  little  of  the  disturbance. 

The  president  looked  very  grave.  "  Indeed, 
Miss  Luce,"  he  answered,  "  any  right-minded 
Southerner  would  endeavor  to  prevent  such  vio- 
lence, no  matter  how  much  the  parties  deserved 
it."  He  turned  for  confirmation  of  his  opinion, 
but  Osterhandt  seemed  extremely  doubtful. 

As  they  went  out  they  saw  everywhere  about 
the  spacious  college  grounds  groups  of  students, 
lounging  or  chatting  together.  Apparently  no- 
body was  hurried  or  even  particularly  busy.  The 
slow,  southern  speech  greeted  her  ear  agreeably, 
and  she  was  rather  pleased  at  the  absence  of 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  1G9 

the  brisk,  business-like  air  everywhere  visible  in 
northern  colleges. 

"  You  can't  hustle,  down  here,"  her  companion 
explained,  "  there's  less  oxygen  in  the  air.'' 

Presently  Bess  and  her  young  escort  joined 
them,  and  after  a  few  moments,  as  they  entered  a 
narrow  part,  Marian  was  left  with  the  young 
student,  while  Bess  and  Osterhandt  went  ahead. 

The  boy  was  evidently  a  little  afraid  of  this 
stately  northern  girl  and  after  an  embarrassed 
silence  while  he  hunted  in  his  mind  for  a  worthy 
subject  of  conversation,  he  burst  out,  "  Wasn't 
Shakespeare  a  wonderful  man?  " 

"  He  is  generally  considered  so"  answered  the 
girl,  vainly  trying  to  conceal  her  amusement. 

"  I  like  him  best  in  '  She  Stoops  to  Conquer/  " 
he  ventured. 

Not  knowing  whether  to  take  this  last  remark 
seriously  or  not,  she  compromised  by  calling  at- 
tention to  one  of  the  trees : 

"  What  is  that  tree?  "  she  asked  eagerly. 

"  That's  a  cigar  tree.  Right  smart  of  them 
round  yar,"  he  replied  glibly,  feeling  he  was  now 
on  safe  ground.  At  the  turn  of  the  path  Oster- 
handt fell  back  and  the  youth  hastened  to  join 
Bess. 

"  Were  you  born  in  the  South,  Mr.  Oster- 
handt?" asked  Marian. 


170  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"Why  do  you  ask?" 

"  I  though  I  detected  a  Northern  accent  at 
times,"  she  answered. 

"  I  believe  you  are  a  witch,  and  I'm  half  afraid 
of  you.  Yes,  I  was  born  in  the  North,  but  came 
here  when  only  ten  years  old.  My  parents  were 
New  England  farmers,  but  when  they  died  I  was 
sent  to  my  uncle  here,  and  fitted  myself  for  the 
law.  I  still  like  farming.  I  believe  the  life  of  a 
farmer  is  the  most  independent  in  the  world. 
Even  when  times  are  at  the  worst,  people  have  to 
have  the  products  of  the  soil,  and  farmers  are 
about  the  only  men  who  are  really  producers. 
They  hold  all  the  rest  of  mankind  on  their 
shoulders.  The  farmer  raises  hogs  for  instance, 
and  sends  his  barrels  of  pork  to  some  middle 
man.  The  middle  man  rolls  those  barrels  of 
pork  into  somebody's  cellar,  and  makes  his  living 
that  way;  that  somebody  rolls  it  into  somebody 
else's  cellar  and  lie  makes  a  living  out  of  it,  too, 
but  after  all,  that  barrel  of  pork  hasn't  increased 
a  lick." 

"  Yes,"  said  Marian,  "  but  your  farmer  is  too 
busy  looking  after  his  hogs  to  attend  to  selling 
his  pork  to  the  public  at  large,  so  I  rather  think 
the  middleman  is  necessary,  but  if  you  love  farm- 
ing so  well,  why  did  you  leave  it  for  the  law?  " 

"  Well,  it's  easier  to  earn  a  good  living  in  the 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  171 

law,"  he  said  a  little  embarrassed  at  her  question. 
"  But  tell  me  how  you  like  our  city  of  Athens." 

"  It  is  beautiful.  Such  a  restful,  quiet,  little 
city !  I  never  saw  such  bright  sunlight  anywhere 
else,  nor  such  beautiful  tropical  flowers.  Then 
the  people  are  so  kind  and  genial.  I  don't  mind 
a  bit  the  high-flown  compliments  paid  me,  for  I 
can  see  that  they  are  not  said  insincerely,  but  are 
the  result  of  a  genuine  kindly  feeling.  The  men 
pay  just  the  same  attention  to  their  wives  and 
sisters." 

"  I  reckon  Northern  men  love  their  families 
just  as  much,  but  they  don't  have  as  much  time 
as  we  do  and  they  are  less  demonstrative.  But," 
he  went  on,  "  I  reckon  you  won't  find  any  diffi- 
culty in  fixing  it  up,  if  you'd  rather  live  down 
here." 

"  They  certainly  have  been  good  to  me,"  she 
continued,  not  heeding  his  gallant  remark. 
"  Everybody  in  town  called  oa  us  the  first  two  or 
three  days,  and  most  of  them  are  giving  parties 
in  our  honor." 

"  Don't  they  do  that  up  North?  "  he  asked  in 
surprise. 

"  Not  to  such  an  extent.  I  have  been  to  five 
parties  here  already.  Instead  of  dropping  in  for 
fifteen  minutes  and  drinking  a  cup  of  tea  as  we 
do  at  home,  we  take  our  fancy  work  along  and 


172  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

stay  all  the  afternoon,  sing  songs  and  do  all  sorts 
of  pleasant  things.  Then  we  have  a  square  meal 
and  spend  the  evening,  and  all  the  men  far  and 
near  drop  in  to  see  us." 

"  What  do  you  girls  talk  about  in  the  after- 
noon? " 

"  Oh,  all  kinds  of  things.  Just  now  the  all 
absorbing  topic  is  the  Joe  Carruth  and  S.  K. 
Jones  affair.  The  girls  are  afraid  of  their  lives. 
They  lock  and  bar  every  door  at  night,  and  some 
of  them  carry  bowie  knives  or  revolvers,  even 
when  they  go  out  in  the  daytime.  Bess  and  I  are 
important  personages,  because  we  were  even 
slightly  mixed  up  in  this  last  business.  They 
don't  know  that  Bess  was  ever  married." 

"  Can  you  keep  a  secret.  Miss  Marian?  "  inter- 
posed Osterhandt  with  a  troubled  air. 

"  Certainly  I  can." 

"  Mayberry  told  me  I  could  trust  you,  but  this 
is  in  strict  confidence.  I  am  interested  with 
Hyslop,  Gus  and  your  uncle  in  bringing  those 
men  to  justice.  Jay  Carruth  will  help  his  brother 
if  he  can,  and  Tom  Mayberry  won't  take  any 
active  part  in  catching  his  cousin  unless  he  is 
driven  to  it.  If  we  could  only  induce  him  to  help 
us  we  would  be  sure  of  success,  for  Mayberry 
never  fails  in  anything  he  undertakes." 

"  I  am  puzzled  about  two  things,"  said  Marian 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  173 

after  some  reflection,  "why  is  Gus  so  friendly 
with  Bill  and  why  does  Joe  Carruth  want  money 
when  he  is  wealthy  anyway?  " 

"  Poor  Gus  has  played  a  part  he  doesn't  like 
much.  He  is  very  frank  by  nature,  but  he  has 
tried  to  make  Bill  confide  in  him,  and  we  have 
gotten  more  information  that  way  than  you'd 
think.  Bill  likes  Gus  and  really  trusts  him.  But 
it  seems  to  be  the  only  way  to  catch  those  men. 
As  to  Joe  Carruth, — he  is  just  naturally  cussed. 
He  had  his  share  of  the  land  and  cattle  but 
money  is  scarce,  and  Joe  was  an  awful  gambler. 
Still  they  had  a  good  deal  of  money,  too.  It's 
pretty  hard  to  tell  why  people  do  things.  He 
certainly  has  harder  work  now  and  less  money  by 
a  long  sight,  than  he  would  if  he'd  behaved  him- 
self." 

Marian's  mind  was  intent  on  the  event  of  her 
escape  from  those  same  outlaws. 

"  I  owe  my  escape  to  Mr.  Mayberry,"  she  said, 
referring  to  the  affair. 

"  You  certainly  do.  Then  the  night  before, 
they  saw  a  couple  of  Greasers  hanging  round 
near  Miss  Bess's  windows.  We  think  the  Mexi- 
can Jay  captured,  might  have  been  watching  for 
you  and  Bess." 

Marian  flushed  at  the  thought. 

"  Don't  you  worry,  the  danger  is  all  over  now," 


174  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

he  said  reassuringly.  "  You  won't  go  back  there 
till  those  fellows  are  arrested.  In  the  meantime, 
keep  your  own  counsel  and  if  you  get  any  new 
light  on  the  subject,  let  me  know  at  once.  You 
will,  won't  you?  " 

"  You  may  be  sure  I  will,''  she  said  with  earn- 
estness. 

Having  reached  the  door  of  Aunt  Kate's  man- 
sion, Mr.  Osterhandt  turned  to  greet  Bess  and 
her  companion,  and  suddenly  remembered  that 
he  was  the  bearer  of  an  invitation  for  Aunt  Kate 
and  the  two  young  ladies  to  join  a  picnic  given 
by  the  students  the  following  day. 

One  of  the  most  charming  traits  of  the  South- 
erners is  their  perennial  youth.  The  oldest  men 
and  women  take  the  same  active  interest  in  en- 
tertainments of  all  sorts,  as  do  the  young  people. 
A  man  is  never  too  old  in  the  South  to  be  very 
attentive  to  the  young  ladies,  and  to  pay  them 
various  extravagant  compliments.  Marian  had 
witnessed  with  surprise  Aunt  Kate's  dignified 
husband  sliding  down  the  banisters  with  his  chil- 
dren, and  only  the  day  before  she  saw  a  really  old 
man  jump  from  a  rapidly  moving  car  to  speak  to 
a  young  lady  who  was  passing.  She  was,  there- 
fore, not  very  much  astonished  when  she  beheld 
asembled  for  the  picnic,  not  only  the  students 
and  their  girl  friends,  but  also  the  professors 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  175 

and  their  wives,  and  even  the  genial  president. 
The  professor,  who  had  delivered  the  reprimand 
the  day  before,  was  present  in  gala  attire  and 
the  most  amiable  of  moods.  He  begged  to  be  pre- 
sented to  Miss  Marian,  declaring  that  he  must 
have  been  entirely  out  of  his  mind  the  previous 
day  to  be  annoyed  at  anj^thing  done  by  two  such 
charming  young  ladies. 

Throughout  the  long  walk  the  boys  were  laden 
down  with  the  lunches  and  all  the  wraps  of  the 
girls,  who  took  it  as  a  matter  of  course. 

Presently,  Mr.  Osterhandt  strolled  up  with  an 
attractive  looking  stranger  who  was  evidently 
very  bashful,  an  unusual  thing  in  Texas  and  apt 
to  receive  very  little  consideration. 

"  Miss  Marian,"  said  Osterhandt,  "  my  friend 
here  saw  you  at  the  college  yesterday  and 
couldn't  be  happy  till  he  met  you.  He  spent  the 
whole  evening  in  my  room  raving  about  you.  I 
never  saw  a  man  in  such  a  state  before.  He 
wants  to  know  if  you've  got  a  sweetheart  up 
North." 

The  poor  fellow  blushed  furiously  and  turned 
an  agonized  look  upon  his  tormentor. 

"Don't  mind  him  at  all,"  said  Marian  kindly. 
"  No  one  pays  the  least  attention  to  what  he 
says." 

"  I  reckon  there  may  be  some  truth  in  it," 


176  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

stammered  the  youth,  apparently  feeling  some 
such  remark  was  required  of  him,  then,  as  some 
one  called  his  name,  he  gladly  made  his  escape. 

"  That  was  just  horrid  of  you,"  exclaimed 
Marian. 

"  Oh !  "  grinned  Osterhandt,  "  I  did  it  for  his 
good.  He  needs  to  be  roasted  till  he  gets  over 
being  so  bashful.  It^s  a  great  bar  to  success. 
No  I '' 

Marian  began  to  laugh,  but  before  he  could 
finish  his  sentence  he  was  called  to  settle  a  dis- 
pute, and  she  was  left  alone.  She  started  off 
briskly  down  a  lovely  little  side  path  in  the 
woods,  glad  to  be  by  herself  for  a  time  before  the 
horn  blew  for  luncheon. 

She  took  a  seat  on  a  fallen  tree  and  was  gazing 
about  her  with  delight  at  the  richness  of  the 
foliage  and  the  beautiful  flowers  when  she  saw  a 
man  coming  rapidly  towards  her  from  a  little 
side  path.  As  he  came  nearer  she  recognized  in 
him  one  of  the  two  cattlemen  who  had  recently 
visited  her  uncle's  ranch. 

"  Good-morning,  Miss  Luce,"  he  said  removing 
his  hat,  "  I  hope  you  remember  meeting  me  at 
your  uncle's.    I  have  a  message  to  you  from  him." 

Marian  examined  him  gravely  as  she  acknowl- 
edged meeting  him.  His  manner  was  suave  and 
his  dress  unostentatious,  but  he  had  not  the  bear- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  177 

ing  of  a  gentleman.  True,  she  had  met  him  at 
her  uncle's;  but  he  was  there  on  business,  and 
even  at  that  time  had  not  inspired  her  with  con- 
fidence. Taking  the  telegram  which  he  extended 
she  read 

"  Come  back  to  ranch  at  once  with  Kirkpat- 
rick.    You  will  remember  him. 
Uncle  Dan.'' 

Marian  looked  at  the  man  in  serious  doubt. 
Seeing  this  he  pulled  another  telegram  from  his 
pocket  and  held  it  out. 

"  Here's  the  one  I  got,"  he  remarked.  The 
second  telegram  read, 

"  Bring  Miss  Luce  to  Xantus  to-night  on  four- 
forty  train.    Will  meet  you  there. 

Daniel  Luce." 

"  I  must  first  say  good-by  to  my  friends,"  said 
Marian. 

"  Oh,  no,  you  w  on't  have  time  for  that,"  the 
man  objected.  "  You  see  I  have  lost  about  two 
hours  hunting  you  up.  I  went  to  your  house  and 
explained  it  to  your  aunt  and  she  told  me  where 
to  find  you.  I  reckon  something's  happened  to 
the  Boss  or  his  wife,"  he  added  watching  her 
narrowly. 
12 


178  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Didn't  Aunt  Kate  send  a  note  by  you?  " 

"  No,  she  reckoned  the  telegrams  was  enough, 
and  the  time  was  short." 

Marian  knew  the  easy  southern  ways  of  doing 
things  but  she  still  felt  undecided.  "  I  must  cer- 
tainly say  good-by  to  my  friends  here,"  she  said 
rising. 

"  But  you'll  lose  the  train.  Something  must 
have  happened  sure  or  Daniel  Luce  wouldn't  have 
sent  them  telegrams,"  he  urged.  "  I've  got  a  car- 
riage waiting  for  you  right  near  here." 

He  turned  and  walked  down  the  path  and 
Marian  followed  in  great  indecision.  At  one  mo- 
ment anxiety  for  her  uncle  filled  her  heart,  then 
a  wave  of  distrust  toward  this  man  urged  her  to 
seek  her  friends.  A  sudden  bend  in  the  path 
brought  into  view  a  close  carriage  with  curtains 
drawn.  At  this  sight  she  decided  fully  that  she 
w^ould  not  go  with  him  and  stopped  short  as  he 
advanced  to  open  the  carriage  door. 

"  I  shall  not  go  with  you,"  she  said  with  deter- 
mination. 

"  But  what  will  your  uncle  think?  He  must 
be  in  great  need  of  you." 

"  I  will  attend  to  my  uncle.  Don't  let  that 
disturb  you." 

He  muttered  an  oath  and  faced  her  fiercely, 
then,  to  her  surprise,  the  door  of  the  carriage 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  179 

flew  open  and  Osterhandt  sprang  out.  At  the 
same  moment  the  driver  jumped  from  the  box 
and  the  man  was  seized  and  handcuffed  before  he 
had  time  for  a  struggle.  He  was  lifted  into  the 
vehicle,  Mr.  Osterhandt  following  and  closing  the 
door. 

"  Your  party  is  just  over  there,"  said  the 
driver,  pointing  ahead  with  his  whip.  "  Mr. 
Osterhandt  says  for  you  to  go  right  along  and  tell 
'em  you  got  separated  from  him  by  accident.'' 

Saying  this  he  jumped  up  on  the  box  and  drove 
off,  leaving  the  astonished  girl  standing  like  a 
statue  in  the  path.  Just  then  the  horn  sounded 
loudly  only  a  short  distance  at  her  right. 


180  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Soon  after,  Osterhandt  returned  to  the  picnic 
with  an  air  as  gay  and  light  as  though  he  were 
telling  the  truth  when  he  asserted  that  he  had 
wandered  off  and  got  lost. 

Marian  could  hardly  wait  to  see  him  alone ;  but 
on  the  way  home  she  found  him  beside  her. 

"  We  have  got  the  very  man  we  wanted  most," 
he  informed  her,  "  was  fool  enough  to  walk  right 
into  me.  But  he  thought  there  was  no  one  here 
that  was  on  to  him.  The  fellow  on  the  box  was 
one  of  our  spies.  He  induced  the  man  to  take  his 
cab,  then  a  second  hackman,  the  other  spy,  got 
up  on  his  horse  and  followed  them  about  town. 
They  did  sure  enough  go  to  your  house  first.  The 
man  on  horseback  had  hard  work  to  avoid  Kirk 
seeing  him,  but  then  he  was  inside  with  the  cur- 
tain down.  Then  they  came  here,  and  Josh  (our 
man)  was  smart  enough  to  get  me  while  Kirk 
was  hunting  you  up.  Kirk  was  counting  on  your 
not  knowing  anything  at  all  about  any  of  them. 
Not  many  people  know  anyway  that  he's  one  of 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIEE.  181 

the  gang.  Even  jour  uncle  didn't  know  till 
lately.  He's  been  doing  business  here  for  years 
like  an  honest  man,  and  come  to  find  out  he's  the 
biggest  rascal  in  the  country.  Gus  found  that 
out." 

The  next  day  Mr.  Osterhandt  called  to  warn 
Marian  that  Jones  had  at  last  been  captured, 
that  he  was  in  the  Athens  jail,  and  that  the  peo- 
ple must  not  know  it.  So  great  was  the  indigna- 
tion against  him  and  his  confederates,  that  the 
authorities  feared  some  violence.  Then  he  added 
news  that  was  far  more  welcome.  The  evening 
train  was  to  bring  their  old  friends,  Tom  and  Jay. 
The  young  men  were  to  come  on  important  busi- 
ness, but  intended  to  prolong  their  visit  for  a  few 
days  longer  than  their  duty  demanded. 

At  the  news  Bess'  aunt  became  quite  as  en- 
thusiastic as  the  girls  themselves. 

"  I  wish  I  could  have  them  come  right  here  and 
stay,"  ruefully,  "but  where  can  I  find  room! 
Well  anyway  they  shall  come  here  every  night  to 
dinner.  And  now  you  girls  shall  drive  down  to 
meet  them." 

Later  on  in  the  afternoon  dressed  in  dainty, 
freshly  laundered  muslins,  the  girls  sat  in  the 
light  phaeton  eagerly  watching  for  the  evening 
train. 

As  it  whistled  Bess'  hand  instinctively  tight- 


182  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

ened  on  the  rein  but  her  ejes  were  turned  to- 
wards the  advancing  engine. 

Marian    was    the    first    to    spy    the    party. 

"  There's  Gus !  "  she  ejaculated — "  and  Harry 
Newman,"  Bess  began  to  take  notice,  "  and  here 
are  Tom  and  Jay !  " 

A  general  handshaking  followed,  and  a  stream 
of  questions  and  answers  even  before  the  two 
favored  ones  climbed  into  the  phaeton  leaving 
the  others  to  walk  off  to  the  one  hotel  in  town. 

The  boys  had  ordered  their  bags  sent  to  the 
hotel,  but  Tom  refused  to  relinquish  a  large 
paste-board  box  which  he  held  in  his  hand,  and 
from  which  emerged  a  well  remembered  delicious 
odor. 

"  I  brought  you  some  Algerita  blossoms.  Miss 
Marian,"  he  explained,  looking  very  red  and 
pleased  at  the  girl's  enthusiastic  gratitude. 

"  I  remembered  how  you  loved  them,"  he  con- 
tinued sheepishly  and  trying  to  speak  in  a  tone 
which  might  be  heard  by  the  two  on  the  front 
seat.  But  he  concluded  from  the  expression  of 
their  backs — ^which  he  regarded  intently  from 
one  corner  of  his  eye — that  no  part  of  the  trans- 
action had  been  lost  on  them. 

Marion  felt  more  than  ever  proud  of  her  two 
cavaliers,  after  observing  them  at  evening  func- 
tions, and  in  dress-suits.    Although  not  exactly 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  183 

in  the  latest  cut,  such  as  they  were,  they  wore 
them  quite  as  gracefully  as  the  New  Yorker  does 
his  more  modern  apparel. 

In  this  quaint  little  community  they  were  very 
much  at  their  ease,  and  like  all  Southerners  were 
armed  at  every  turn  in  the  conversation  with  a 
ready  tact,  and  a  quick  harmless  wit  in  which 
there  was  never  a  sting.  The  many  compliments 
of  the  Southerner,  if  not  always  deeply  signifi- 
cant, spring  from  a  genial  desire  to  give  pleasure, 
and  have  never  a  suspicion  of  sarcasm. 

And  Tom  and  Jay  were  Southerners  to  the 
back-bone,  possessing  all  their  rich  nature,  all 
their  virtues,  and  a  few  of  their  genial  weak- 
nesses. 

These  two  young  men  soon  became  the  center 
of  attraction  as  indeed  in  point  of  birth  and 
personal  worth  they  deserved  to  be.  To  Bess  this 
was  all  a  matter  of  course ;  she  cared  not  a  whit 
for  either  of  them,  and  she  had  seen  them  in 
Athens  before.  But  to  Marian  it  was  something 
of  a  revelation,  and  she  became  inwardly  ashamed 
of  the  feeling  of  superiority  with  which  she  had 
hitherto  regarded  them. 

The  two  young  men  were  modestly  uncon- 
scious of  their  general  popularity,  and  appar- 
ently also  of  Marian's  new-found  estimate  of 


184  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

tliem,  attributing  her  change  in  demeanor  to  the 
change  in  her  surroundings. 

In  the  small  town  of  Ray,  a  short  distance  from 
Athens,  the  annual  dance  was  to  take  place  in  a 
few  days.  The  girls  had  attended  a  number  of 
assemblies  in  the  college  buildings  and  at  the 
homes  of  the  friends  of  their  hostess,  which  were 
very  like  such  affairs  in  New  York,  except  per- 
haps the  participants  were  more  enthusiastic  in 
their  enjoyment  of  the  exercise;  but  a  real  cow- 
boy dance  Marian  had  never  seen,  and  her  friends 
were  anxious  that  she  should  behold  Texan  life 
in  all  its  phases. 

At  first  Bess  protested  against  it,  saying  that 
none  of  the  young  people  of  Athens  would  think 
of  such  a  thing  as  attending  that  dance,  but,  when 
it  was  announced  that  Harry  Newman  was  to  be 
of  the  party,  she  changed  her  mind,  and  became 
correspondingly  eager  to  go. 

The  one  public  building  which  was  used  both 
as  school-house  and  town  hall,  was  to  do  duty  on 
this  occasion,  by  removing  all  benches  and  desks, 
leaving  bare  board  floors  and  a  platform  upon 
which  stood  a  small  parlor  organ,  always  re- 
ferred to  as  "  the  instrument.'^ 

In  accordance  with  Marian's  suggestion,  the 
four  agreed  to  drive  over  early  in  the  afternoon 
to  decorate  the  hall.    The  other  young  men  from 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  185 

Xantus  and  the  few  who  would  come  from 
Athens  were  to  make  the  journey  on  horse-back. 

^^  You  watch  out  Miss  Marian/^  said  Jay,  "  and 
you'll  see  the  boys  from  the  ranches  come  in,  each 
with  his  girl  on  the  same  horse,  so  that  no  other 
fellow  can  get  her.'' 

For  this  occasion  the  boys  wore  ordinary  busi- 
ness suits,  flannel  shirts,  and  bright  silk  hand- 
kerchiefs about  their  necks. 

"  We^d  be  mobbed  if  we  came  out  in  claw-ham- 
mers," explained  Jay. 

The  girls  agreed  to  wear  simple  white  muslins. 

Marian  thoroughly  enjoyed  the  drive  over, 
stopping  here  and  there  to  gather  wild  flowers, 
mistletoe  and  vines. 

The  hall  looked  dreary  enough  at  first,  with  its 
bare  floors  and  only  one  or  two  oil  lamps  on  the 
walls,  but  the  girls  set  to  work  with  a  will,  and 
accomplished  wonders. 

"  You-all  have  made  this  place  a  regular 
bower,''  exclaimed  Jay  as  he  and  Tom  came  in. 

Marian  was  a  charming  picture,  as  she  stood 
there  in  her  simple  white  dress,  unadorned  except 
by  a  bunch  of  Algeritas  at  her  belt  and  another 
in  her  hair.  Tom  looking  at  her,  was  unable  to 
utter  one  of  the  pretty  speeches  that  came  so 
readily  to  his  lips  in  talking  with  other  girls. 


186  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"Why  can't  you  talk,  you  fool?"  he  said  to 
himself  angrily,  but  words  would  not  come. 

The  room  shortly  became  stifling  with  the 
mingled  odors  of  flowers,  resin,  and  smoky  oil 
lamps. 

A  red-haired  girl  in  a  startling  blue  dress  sat 
at  "  the  instrument "  attended  by  a  gaunt  man 
with  a  violin  in  his  hand.  Near  them  sat  two 
Mexicans,  motionless  and  expressionless,  their 
guitars  held  waiting. 

It  would  be  impossible  to  describe  the  dresses 
of  the  country  girls.  They  were  of  calico,  gener- 
ally gaudy  in  color  and  home-made,  and  they 
wore  heavy  shoes  instead  of  slippers,  but  youth 
and  happiness  lent  beauty  to  their  faces. 

There  were  about  twice  as  many  men  as  girls. 

"  The  men  pay  for  the  tickets  "  explained  Tom, 
"  but  if  a  man  brings  a  girl,  he  doesn't  pay  any- 
thing, and  if  he  brings  two  girls  he  gets  a  supper 
ticket  free,  but  that  has  never  happened  yet,  and 
I  reckon  any  fellow  that  tried  it  would  get 
lynched." 

"  But  if  a  girl  comes  alone?  "  queried  Marian. 

Tom  stared  a  moment.  "  The  very  idea  of  a 
girl  going  alone  to  a  dance!  Whoever  heard  of 
such  a  thing?  "  thought  Tom,  but  before  he  could 
overcome  the  shyness  which  he  always  felt  in  her 
presence,  sufficiently  to  give  her  an  answer,  Jay 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  187 

had  broken  into  the  conversation,  remarking  as 
he  eyed  a  youthful  looking  stranger  who  had  just 
entered, 

"  That's  the  ornerist-looking  white  man  I  ever 
saw.'' 

Marian,  following  his  gaze,  beheld  a  young 
man  with  very  greasy  looking  hair,  a  strange 
looking  suit  of  large  cheeks  with  trousers  so  long 
as  to  almost  trail  on  the  floor,  boiled  shirt,  high 
white  collar,  no  tie  and  no  vest.  He  smelt  strong 
of  camphor,  but  the  light  of  happiness  was  in  his 
eyes. 

"  Watch  that  collar  an  hour  from  now,"  Tom 
observed. 

"Why?" 

"  Well !  They  dance  with  considerable  enthu- 
siasm down  here,  and  an  extra  collar  is  an  un- 
heard luxury." 

"  He'll  take  it  off,"  grinned  Jay. 

There  were  all  sorts  of  costumes  on  the  men, 
from  the  regulation  cowboy  outfit  with  chaps 
and  spurs,  to  a  sort  of  travesty  on  a  dress-suit, 
with  black  trouser  legs  tucked  into  high  brown 
brogans,  but  every  one  looked  happy,  and  expect- 
ant, eyeing  the  strange  girls  half  admiringly  and 
half  suspiciously. 

The  dance  orders  contained  such  names  as 
"  Money   Musk,"  "  Coming  Through  the  Rye," 


188  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Lady  Washington's  Reel/'  "  Step  Dance,"  etc. 
There  were  few  round  dances. 

While  Marian  was  engaged  in  handing  her 
dance  order  from  one  aspirant  to  another,  a  flour- 
ish on  "  the  instrument,"  accompanied  by  trills 
on  the  fiddle  and  then  a  dramatic  pause  an- 
nounced that  the  dance  was  to  begin. 

"  Seelect  pardners  for  the  Seecilian  Circle," 
called  out  the  leader,  capering  violently  about 
and  waving  his  elbows  in  time  to  the  music,  as  he 
called  out  the  numbers. 

"AllemandieLeft!" 

"Allemandie  Right!" 

"  All  forrad  and  back !  " 

"  All  forrad  and  saloot !  " 

"  Sashey  through  to  the  next !  " 

"  Twist  Partners !  " 

"  No  fair  steppin'  on  her  feet !  " 

At  this  Tom,  Marian's  partner,  seized  her 
gently  round  the  waist,  and  began  whirling 
round  till  the  girl  laughingly  begged  him  to  stop. 
Leaning  against  him  for  support  while  the  others 
continued  to  whirl,  she  gasped,  "  Oh,  what  fun !  " 

Tom  was  in  an  ecstacy  of  delight,  but  said 
nothing. 

"  Seat  yo'  pardners,"  called  the  master  of 
ceremonies,  and  Tom  led  her  to  one  of  the 
benches  ranged  along  the  side  of  the  room.    He 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  189 

took  her  fan  and  waved  it  violently.  While 
all  over  the  room  many  colored  handkerchiefs 
mopped  as  many  heated  brows. 

"  Step  dance/'  called  the  leader  after  another 
flourish  of  music  and  a  dramatic  pause. 

Jay  claimed  her  for  that,  Tom  bowed  and 
looked  after  her  as  she  walked  away,  then  went 
and  sat  alone  in  the  corner.  A  man  at  a  dance 
in  Texas  can  do  that  quite  unobserved. 

"  I  never  regretted  so  much  as  now,"  began 
Jay,  "that  I  am  such  a  poor  dancer.  I  am  so 
stiff  at  it,  you  can  hear  all  my  bones  creak." 

"  I  am  sure  you  must  be  a  good  dancer," 
laughed  the  girl. 

"  No !  I  assure  you.  Gus  says  I  always  re- 
mind him  of  the  nursery  rhyme, 

•  Dromedary  dancing 
Dromedary  prancing. 

And  when  they  saw  the  good  beast  dancing, 
They  knew  it  was  a  sign  of  rain.'  " 

Truly  as  a  dancer,  Tom  was  far  superior  to  his 
cousin. 

"  Keep  a  humpin !  "  yelled  the  leader,  stamping 
with  his  feet  to  increase  the  enthusiasm.  Indeed 
the  step  dance  seemed  to  be  a  jig  with  no  step 
at  all,  except  as  each  one  fancied,  and  the  time 
w^as  quite  broken  up  by  the  flourishes,  trills  and 
runs  on  "  the  instrument,"  and  the  very  scrapy 


190  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

violin.  One  did  well  to  note  only  the  measured 
beats  of  the  two  wooden  Mexicans,  which  formed 
a  good  drone  bass. 

"Jog  along!  Keep  a  humpinM  Keep  a 
humpin' ! "  bawled  the  enthusiastic  leader  in- 
creasing his  tempo.  "  Don't  hug  the  girls  too 
tight!" 

This  witticism  was  applauded  by  smothered 
snickers. 

"  The  collar's  gone,"  whispered  Marian  to  Jay, 
as  she  sat  waiting  to  get  her  breath  for  the  next 
dance.  Sure  enough  the  young  stranger  had  re- 
moved that  wilted  appendage. 

The  next  dance  was  the  Virginia  Reel.  All  the 
boys  not  dancing,  clapped  and  stamped  in  time 
to  the  music.  The  calls  were  mingled  with  an  ex- 
cess of  wit  slightly  bordering  on  the  vulgar  but 
not  really  offensive.  The  dancers,  while  waiting 
their  turn,  amused  themselves  by  cutting  most 
remarkable  pigeon  wings  and  flings,  throwing 
their  feet  about  in  a  loose  jointed  fashion  won- 
derful to  behold. 

This  dance  over,  Marian's  partner,  an  attract- 
ive boy  she  had  never  seen  before,  entertained 
her  with  his  first  visit  to  a  city. 

"  I'd  been  a  livin'  out  of  doors  fer  six  months, 
and  I'd  clean  forgot  how  white  folks  live.  When 
I  went  into  the  hotel  dining-room,  I  didn't  dare 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  191 

speak  without  fixin'  my  mouth  just  so,  till  I  felt 
I  was  gettin'  it  twisted  all  out  of  shape.  I 
ordered  beans,  and  felt  as  if  every  one  was 
watching  me  eat.  I  did  the  best  I  could,  but 
finally  I  said  to  the  man  opposite  to  me,  '  I've 
chased  that  there  bean  round  this  plate  for  half 
an  hour  with  my  fork,  so  now  if  you'll  excuse  me, 
I'll  use  my  knife.'  That  night  I  slept  on  a  spring 
bed.  Gawd!  Every  time  I  turned  over,  I  shot 
two  feet  in  the  air,  till  I  got  tired  and  finished 
the  night  on  the  floor.  I  thought  I  never  wanted 
to  see  a  city  again,  as  long  as  I  lived." 

Here  the  fiddler  broke  in  again,  "  Now  boys, 
hustle  and  get  your  girls  for  the  lances." 

Marian  was  again  led  out  by  Tom,  who  stood 
by  her  silent  and  pensive. 

"  You  don't  seem  quite  in  tune  with  your  sur- 
roundings, to-night,"  she  said. 

Tom  brightened  a  little,  but  the  effort  it  cost 
was  not  lost  upon  her. 

"  You  are  worried  about  something,"  she  ven- 
tured. 

Just  then  at  a  call  from  the  fiddler,  Tom  took 
her  hand,  and  she  felt  the  sudden  thrill,  and  the 
sense  of  mastery  and  protection  with  which  his 
strong  personality  always  inspired  her. 

"  Don't  let  my  ugly  mood  spoil  your  fun,"  he 
whispered  in  a  pause  of  the  dance. 


192  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"You,  ugly!''  she  said  in  unbelief,  then  she 
suddenly  realized  the  trend  of  his  thought. 

"  You  know  they  have  taken  Jones,"  she  whis- 
pered. 

"  Yes !    But  hush.    No  one  must  know  it." 

"Why  are  they  so  furious  against  him?" 

"  First  for  killing  Kit  Packer,  who  was  a  great 
favorite,  and  also  for  his  hypocrisy  in  taking 
good  money  for  preaching  the  gospel,  when  he 
was  worse  than  any  of  them.  When  I  think  of 
his  underhanded  villainy,  I  feel  like  lynching  him 
myself.  He's  the  worst  man  in  the  country.  All 
the  rest  have  some  redeeming  trait,  but  he  hasn't 
one.  What  is  the  use  of  wasting  time  with  such 
vermin?  "  and  his  eyes  grew  fierce. 

"  It  is  never  right  to  take  the  law  into  your 
own  hands." 

"  Miss  Marian,"  he  said  earnestly,  "  you  can't 
understand  these  things.  You  have  always  lived 
in  a  law-abiding,  civilized  community,  and " 

The  music  came  to  a  sudden  stop,  and  Tom 
w^as  obliged  to  lead  his  partner  to  a  seat,  where 
she  was  immediately  claimed  by  a  bashful  look- 
ing boy  from  the  college,  but  she  had  time  to 
whisper  to  Tom,  "  I  hold  you  to  your  promise." 

As  the  w^altz  ended  Jay  at  once  demanded  her, 
and  led  her  to  one  side  of  the  hall  apart  from 
the  others. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  193 

"  Miss  Marian,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice,  "  I 
want  to  ask  your  advice  in  an  important  matter. 
I  am  in  love.  Would  you  tell  the  lady  so  if 
you  were  me?  " 

Marian  felt  a  little  sinking  at  her  heart  and  a 
sudden  feeling  of  pique. 

"  Is  there  any  particular  reason  why  you 
shouldn't  tell  her?"  she  asked  wonderingly. 

"  Only  that  I  have  known  her  but  a  short  time 
and  I'm  half  afraid  to  do  so.  You  see  she  is  a 
Northerner,  and  not  used  to  our  impetuous 
ways." 

"  Oh,"  said  Marian  laughing  with  embarrass- 
ment as  a  light  dawmed  on  her  mind.  "  I  advise 
you  by  all  means  to  wait  till  you  have  impressed 
her  with  your  sincerity." 

"  Surely,"  she  said  to  herself  as  she  was  car- 
ried off  by  little  Doc,  "  Gus  was  quite  right  when 
he  called  the  cowboy  tropical." 

"What  have  you  been  deviling  poor  Jay 
about?"  inquired  Doc.  "He  looks  raw-hidey 
enough  to  kill  somebody." 

"  Mr.  Doc,"  began  Marian,  not  heeding  his 
question,  and  the  boy  chuckled  at  the  unusual 
title,  "  I  want  to  ask  you  a  question.  Bill  said, 
— or  rather,  my  cousin  Bess  said,  that  her  hus- 
band threatens  to  kill  her.  Why  does  he  want 
to  kill  her?  Was  the  wrong  all  on  his  side?  " 
13 


1&4  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Yes,  principally.  I  think  he  really  did  love 
her  devotedly,  and  she  was  so  silly  and  flirty  that 
he  got  jealous.  He  needn't  have  been,  for  she  was 
all  right, — only  rather  too  fond  of  flattery  and 
attention.  She  was  only  a  kid  when  she  mar- 
ried, and  a  heap  too  good  for  him.  We  cowboys 
are  apt  to  think  a  girl  is  as  bad  as  she  appears, 
anyway,  but  we  soon  found  out  Bess  was  only 
silly.  She's  honest  and  affectionate,  but  she  just 
plumb  couldn't  live  with  a  man  who  stole  and 
gambled  and  murdered.  Bill  and  she  know 
things  about  him.  Bill  adores  Joe,  so  he  ain't 
afraid  of  him,  but  if  Bess  marries  again  she's  a 
deader,  sure,  and  she  knows  it, — when  she  stops 
to  think  which  ain't  often.  I  reckon  she's  trying 
to  forget  it  to-night,"  and  he  looked  at  the 
radiant  creature  who  was  approaching  on  Harry's 
arm. 

"  Say,  Madge ! "  began  Bess  with  a  giggle. 
"  Harry  here  allowed  you  was  dancin'  alone,  but 
then  we  saw  a  black  line  round  your  waist,  and 
when  you  whirled  round  there  was  a  red  thing 
on  your  shoulder.  I  thought  it  might  be  a  black 
belt  and  a  peony,  but  Harry  decided  it  was  Doc's 
arm  and  his  red  head." 

Doc  drew  himself  up  in  wrath.  "  Women  al- 
ways look  taller  than  men,  but  Miss  Marian  and 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  195 

I  air  pretty  much  of  a  bigness,"  and  he  squared 
his  shoulders,  trying  to  look  as  tall  as  possible. 

"  Time  to  buy  you-alPs  supper  tickets,"  inter- 
rupted the  strident  voice  of  the  leader.  "  Come 
on  boys !  don't  be  mean ! "  Then  followed  a 
stampede  accompanied  by  an  uproarous  war- 
whoop,  a  sort  of  imitation  foot-ball  scrimmage, 
from  w^hich  Marian  found  herself  extricated  by 
Jay,  who  had  unceremoniously  seized  her  arm 
before  his  more  bashful  cousin  had  gained  the 
courage  to  request  the  honor  of  her  company  at 
supper. 

"  You  will  eat  with  me?  "  said  Jay  simply. 

"  With  pleasure !  "  she  answered  gayly. 

Jay's  buoyant  good  nature  w^as  always  refresh- 
ing, and  his  reckless  manner  fascinating  in  the 
extreme.  The  high  esteem  in  which  she  held  one 
cousin,  and  the  fascination  exerted  by  the  other, 
were  then  as  they  had  ever  been,  at  war  with  each 
other. 

"You  look  like  an  angel,  to-night,  honey," 
Bess  said  caressingly,  putting  back  a  stray  ten- 
dril of  hair  on  Marian's  forehead.  "  Jay  says 
you're  the  sweetest  white  woman  he  ever  saw." 

"  What  does  he  mean  by  that?  "  replied  Marian 
with  indignation. 

"  Oh,  that's  just  one  of  our  southern  expres- 


196  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

sions.  It's  meant  for  a  compliment,  so  don't  get 
mad,  girlie." 

In  another  moment  Marian  found  herself  dan- 
cing with  Jay,  who  whispered,  "  A  word  to  the 
wise  is  sufficient,  Miss  Marian,  so  don't  be  afraid 
of  me." 

"  You're  a  good  boy,"  she  answered  gratefully 
as  she  looked  up  into  his  sunburnt  face  and  met 
his  roguish  black  eyes. 

"  He  is  so  handsome,"  she  thought,  "  one  could 
hardly  help  loving  him  if  she  could  feel  sure  of 
him." 

"What  is  that  noise?"  asked  Jay  stopping 
suddenly  and  holding  the  girl  in  a  tight  grip. 

Marian  stood  trembling,  gazing  in  the  direction 
of  the  street  from  whence  came  a  subdued  roar. 
Osterhandt  dashed  from  the  room.  The  roar  in- 
creased, but  was  still  an  indescribable,  unac- 
countable sound.  The  musicians  stopped  and 
several  other  men  went  out. 

"  Go  on  with  the  music,"  called  Tom  loudly, 
but  the  musicians  did  not  obey.  Jay  placed 
Marian  in  a  seat  near  her  cousin  and  hurriedly 
followed  the  other  men.  out  of  the  room.  The 
hall  was  soon  left  deserted  by  all  the  men,  and 
the  girls  huddled  together  with  white  faces. 

"  What  does  it  mean?  "  asked  Marian ;  then  an 
inkling  of  the  truth  flashed  into  her  mind. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  197 

"  I  am  going  down  to  see  what  the  trouble  is," 
she  said,  freeing  herself  from  the  trembling  Bess ; 
and  before  anyone  could  stop  her  she  ran  from 
the  room,  not  even  waiting  for  a  wrap. 

As  she  hurried  downstairs  she  heard  the  click 
of  the  lock  in  the  door  behind  her. 

In  the  light  of  the  bright  southern  moon  she 
saw  a  surging  mass  of  men  moving  toward  the 
bridge,  on  the  other  side  of  which  was  the  prison. 
Here  and  there  in  the  crowd  was  a  frightened 
looking  woman  rushing  along  with  the  others. 
They  were  quieter  than  she  expected,  but  there 
was  intense  excitement  in  the  air.  Some  of  the 
men  appeared  to  have  come  from  a  great  dis- 
tance, and  all  of  them  w^ere  more  like  hungry 
w^olves  than  human  beings.  They  reminded  her 
of  a  picture  of  a  French  mob  in  the  Reign  of 
Terror. 

"Can  this  be  the  twentieth  century?"  she 
thought. 

She  stepped  out  on  the  street  and  moved  along 
on  the  outside  of  the  crowd. 

"Are  you  alone?"  asked  a  woman  peering  at 
her  curiously.  "  You  had  better  come  along  with 
John  and  me,"  indicating  a  rather  stupid  looking 
countryman  with  her.  "  It^s  got  all  over  the 
country,"  she  went  on,  "  that  they  had  that  rap- 
scallion of  a  preacher  here  in  Athens  jail,  an'  they 


198  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

were  so  afraid  he'd  get  away  before  he  could  be 
tried  that  everyone  has  turned  out  to  tend  to  it. 
They  had  cheap  rates  on  the  trains  to-day." 

"What  are  they  going  to  do?"  asked  Marian 
with  white  lips. 

"  You  watch,  and  you'll  see,  honey,"  answered 
the  woman  with  an  air  of  mystery. 

Every  man  seemed  to  be  carrying  a  bag  of  some 
sort.  Seeing  her  glance  at  his  large,  old-fashioned 
carpet-bag,  the  countryman  opened  it  a  little, 
and  let  her  get  a  glimpse  of  a  pair  of  large 
pistols.  "  Big  fine  for  carrying  weapons  in  the 
city,"  he  chuckled  and  shut  the  bag. 

The  excitement  grew  more  intense;  Marian 
felt  herself  to  be  surrounded  by  a  sea  of  blood- 
shot eyes  gleaming  from  under  a  mass  of  shiny 
black  hair.  Just  then  a  murmur  ran  through 
the  crowd,  and  Marian  saw  six  men  dragging 
their  helpless  victim  toward  a  hastily  erected 
gallows  near  the  bridge.  Marian  sprang 
forward,  not  knowing  what  she  would  do,  but 
impelled  to  save  an  act  of  violence.  The  crowd, 
surprised,  parted  to  let  her  through.  In  an  in- 
stant she  was  in  front  of  them,  standing  there 
all  in  white,  like  an  avenging  angel,  and  at  the 
same  moment  a  tall,  handsome  man  was  by  her 
side.  Holding  up  his  hand  he  called,  "  I  forbid 
this  action  in  the  name  of  the  law  I " 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  199 

The  men  were  so  taken  by  surprise  that  they 
paused  for  a  moment,  and  in  that  moment,  Sin 
Killer  Jones  with  almost  superhuman  strength 
tore  himself  from  his  captors,  and  sprang  upon 
the  bridge. 

"  Shoot !  "  yelled  a  dozen  voices,  and  as  many 
shots  rang  out  on  the  clear  air.  A  sudden  splash 
followed. 

While  this  little  scene  was  enacted  Marian 
heard  Hyslop  say  in  a  hoarse  voice,  "  For  God^s 
sake,  get  Mayberry  and  the  girl  out  of  here,  be- 
fore they  turn  on  them.'' 

At  once  she  was  wrapped  in  a  dark  coat  and 
a  big  hat  pressed  over  her  head,  and  Jay  was 
pushing  her  way  through  the  mob,  who  were  yell- 
ing and  swearing  in  frenzy.  She  felt  herself 
jerked  along,  buffeted  on  all  sides  by  the  surging 
throng.  She  felt  her  courage  give  way.  "  Where 
is  Tom?  "  she  asked. 

"  Close  behind.    Don't  speak,"  whispered  Jay. 

In  another  moment  she  was  in  a  close  carriage, 
with  Tom  beside  her  and  Jay  driving. 

"  If  that  skunk  hasn't  drowned  I'll  never  for- 
give either  of  them,"  muttered  Hyslop  as  he 
turned  back  toward  the  city. 

Presently  Marian  knew  that  they  had  left  the 
pavements  and  were  driving  along  the  soft 
prairie. 


200  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  Where  are  we  going? ''  she  asked. 

The  carriage  stopped  and  the  two  horsemen  be- 
hind it  rode  up. 

"  You  may  go  back  now,  Harry,"  said  Jay^s 
voice ;  "  explain  things  to  Bess  and  see  that  she 
gets  home  all  right.  Watch  things  and  report  to 
us  when  you  bring  Bess  back.  Go  on,  boys,"  and 
the  carriage  started  again. 

"  Where  are  we  going?  "  repeated  Marian. 

Tom  roused  himself  from  the  daze  into  which 
he  had  fallen. 

"  We  are  driving  you-all  to  Quincy  to  take  the 
train  from  there.  We  didn't  dare  put  you  on  the 
train  at  Athens  for  fear  someone  would  recognize 
you." 

"Would  they  have  hurt  me?"  she  asked,  her 
voice  trembling. 

"  Hurt  you ! "  echoed  Jay  with  a  short  laugh. 
"  I  supposed  you  two  were  trying  to  commit 
suicide.  I  never  heard  of  such  a  crazy  perform- 
ance. Why  didn't  you  let  them  alone?  "  he  added 
with  sudden  heat.  "  If  ever  a  man  deserved 
lynching  he  did.  It's  a  wonder  Tom  wasn't  torn 
limb  from  limb.  W^omen  have  no  business  to 
meddle  in  such  matters." 

Marian,  feeling  very  faint,  huddled  back  into 
the  corner  of  the  carriage  with  a  little  sob.    Tom 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  201 

leaned  over,  and,  taking  her  hand  gently,  gave  it 
a  reassuring  pressure. 

"  Do  you  forgive  me?  "  she  whispered. 

His  only  answer  was  another  pressure  of  the 
hand. 

"What  will  your  mother  say?"  she  asked  in 
hesitating  words. 

He  laughed.  "  It  is  just  what  she  would  have 
done.  She  would  sacrifice  herself  and  her  whole 
family  for  a  principle." 

Marian  was  a  little  comforted  and  the  fresh 
air  blowing  in  her  face  revived  her. 

"  Are  w^e  going  to  Xantus?  "  she  asked  timidly. 

"  Yes  and  to  the  D.  L.  ranch  as  soon  as 
possible,"  answered  Tom,  for  Jay  still  kept  a 
moody  silence. 

The  thought  of  that  peaceful  life,  and  her  good 
old  uncle  and  aunt  quite  overcame  her,  and  she 
began  crying  again,  but  more  quietly. 

"  They  sent  us  away  to  escape  all  this,"  she 
thought  remorsefully. 

"  Cheer  up,  Miss  Marian  "  said  Tom  tenderly. 
"  You  did  what  you  thought  was  right,  and  had 
more  courage  than  anyone  I  ever  saw.  I  am  not 
sorry  a  bit;  I  would  do  the  same  thing  if  I  had 
it  all  to  live  over  again." 

Marian  leaned  exhausted  against  the  cushions, 
but   her   hand   still   remained   in  Tom's.      The 


202  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Algerita  blossoms  in  her  dress  had  not  lost  their 
odor.  She  shut  her  eyes  to  fully  enjoy  the  sense 
of  peace  and  security  that  she  had  felt  in  the 
storm  on  the  Mayberry  Ranch. 

"  How  strong  he  is !  "  she  thought.  "  The  love 
of  a  man  like  this  is  well  worth  having." 

Meanwhile  the  carriage  rolled  swiftly  along, 
Jay  holding  the  reins  in  moody  silence. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  203 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Several  weeks  had  elapsed  since  the  lynching 
bee.  The  anger  of  the  populace  was  appeased  by 
the  supposed  death  of  Sin  Killer  Jones.  They 
were  sure  if  he  hadn't  been  shot,  he  had  certainly 
drowned,  and  only  regretted  the  lack  of  ceremony 
of  the  occasion.  Tom  was  freely  forgiven,  as  it 
was  assumed  he  had  acted  at  Marian's  command, 
and  she  was  slightly  canonized  as  being  of  won- 
derful daring,  though  a  trifle  crazy.  Bess  had 
returned  home  and  the  two  girls  had  quite  re- 
covered from  the  event.  It  was  presumed  by  all 
that  Joe  Carruth  and  his  gang  had  been  suffi- 
ciently warned  not  to  appear  in  that  part  of  the 
country  again,  so  the  inhabitants  of  the  various 
ranches  settled  down  comfortably  to  their  work. 
The  winter  months  on  a  Texan  ranch  are,  to 
those  to  whom  it  is  no  novelty,  unspeakably  long, 
dull  and  lonely,  but  they  were  not  so  to  the 
visitor  from  New  York.  Marian  was  delighted  at 
being  initiated  into  the  more  technical  part  of 
the  cow-punching  business.    Every  day  some  new 


204  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

thing  appeared  to  claim  her  attention.  Of  course 
neither  Tom  nor  Jay  allowed  her  to  forget  them. 
Jay's  ranch  being  nearer  than  Tom's  she  saw  the 
former  more  frequently.  Few  days  elapsed  with- 
out the  sound  of  his  horse's  feet,  w^hich  she  had 
learned  to  distinguish;  for  horses  are  quite  as 
individual  and  have  as  many  peculiar  traits  as 
human  beings.  Often,  also,  came  the  sound  of 
another  horse's  feet  and  a  manly  voice  singing, 
"  I'd  cross  deep  waters  for  you,  my  dear ; "  and 
somehow,  that  voice  brought  the  color  to  her 
cheek  as  she  remembered  "  the  lynching  bee." 

She  had  w^ondered,  when  she  planned  to  spend 
the  winter  at  her  uncle's  ranch,  how  she  could 
get  along  without  theatre  parties,  dinners,  and 
dances,  and  all  the  varied  entertainment  which 
life  in  a  large  city  affords;  but  time  never 
weighed  less  heavily.  She  was  out  every  after- 
noon, picking  up  pecans  under  the  loaded  trees, 
finding  the  late  flowers,  or  dreamily  looking  at 
the  strange  scenery. 

"  What  are  you-all  doing  alone  here?  "  queried 
Doc  one  day  as  he  rode  up.  "  We're  rounding  up 
a  bunch  of  cattle.    Don't  you-all  want  to  help?  " 

"Why  do  you  people  always  say  ^you-all'?" 
she  asked  irrelevantly. 

"  Why !  What  do  you-all  say  when  you  mean 
you-all?"  he  asked  in  surprise. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  205 

"  Why,  just  ^  you  '." 
"  But  does  that  cover  the  ground?  " 
"  It  seems  to." 

"  Well,  they  say  '  you-uns '  and  ^  we-uns '  in 
Arkansas.    They  have  a  song  like  this : 

*  It's  hard  for  you-uns  and  we-uns  to  part 
For  you-uns  have  taken  we-unses  heart.'" 

Marian  laughed  heartily.  "  I  won't  come  just 
yet,"  she  said,  "  I'm  going  to  the  spring  after  a 
drink  of  water,"  and  Doc  galloped  off. 

So  the  days  passed.  In  the  evening  Bess 
usually  entertained  her  beaux,  the  chief  favorite 
still  being  Harry  from  Jay's  ranch.  Sometimes 
there  were  several  ranchmen  from  a  distance  who 
came  to  stay  a  day  or  two.  They  were  all  "  nice 
boys"  Marian  thought;  not  as  polished  as  her 
New  York  friends,  nor  as  skilled  in  booklore,  but 
chivalrous,  kind-hearted,  and  generous.  It  was 
interesting  to  meet  all  the  new  people,  and  hear 
their  stories  of  former  days  and  of  open  ranges 
and  drives.  At  night  she  often  sat  at  the  piano 
and  played  till  the  boys  got  sleepy  and  one  by 
one  stole  off  to  bed.  At  last  there  would  be  no 
one  left  but  Hugh,  stretched  out  to  sleep  in  the 
corner.  When  she  woke  him  up  he  always  looked 
very  much  ashamed,  and  begged  for  a  kiss  at 
parting,  accepting  her  refusal  with  perfect  good 


206  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

humor.  One  bright  moonlight  evening  as  Marian 
sat  at  the  piano  improvising  variations  on  her 
favorite  song,  — "  I'd  cross  deep  waters  for  you, 
my  dear " — the  sleepy  Hugh  was  roused  by 
horse's  hoofs  which,  coming  with  a  "  clump  "  in 
the  soft  grass,  stopped  short  at  the  door,  and  Jay 
entered  breezily.  Hugh  greeted  him  with  a  sus- 
picious look,  for  he  fancied  he  had  been  drinking, 
but  as  Marian  seemed  pleased  to  see  him,  and 
Jay  appeared  all  right,  Hugh  retired  from  the 
field. 

"  Miss  Marian,"  Jay  began  as  soon  as  they  were 
alone,  "  I've  made  up  my  mind  to  tell  that  girl  I 
love  her,  and  see  what  she'll  say  to  me." 

"  Do  you  love  her  so  lightly,"  she  parried, 
"  that  you  are  willing  to  run  the  risk  of  losing 
her  entirely?" 

"  I'm  afraid  another  fellow's  beating  my  time," 
he  argued.  "  It's  no  use  talking,  Miss  Marian, 
you  know  perfectly  well  I  love  you." 

"  Mr.  Carruth,"  answered  the  girl,  drawing 
herself  up  haughtily,  "you  should  see  for  your- 
self it  is  of  no  use  to  say  that  to  me !  " 

"  But  what's  the  matter  with  me? "  gasped 
Jay.  "Is  it  because  you  like  Tom  better?  If  I 
thought  that!  '^  and  he  glared  as  he  took  hold  of 
his  six  shooter  threateningly. 

"  Don't  be  foolish,  Mr.  Jay,"  said  Marian  an- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  207 

grily.  "  If  I  must  speak  plainly,  I  like  Texas 
for  a  visit,  but  I  much  prefer  my  own  home.  I 
wouldn't  marry  the  Angel  Gabriel,  and  live  out- 
side of  New  York.'' 

Jay  grinned.  "  Old  Gabe  wouldn't  cut  much 
ice  as  a  matrimonial  candidate  according  to  the 
girls,  but  if  there's  no  man  ahead  of  me  I'll  keep 
in  the  running.  You  told  me  I  might  go  to  New 
York,"  he  added. 

"  I  don't  want  to  feel  afraid  of  you,"  urged 
Marian,  disregarding  his  last  remark.  "  I  like 
you,  and  I  want  to  be  friends  with  you.  Can't 
you  forget  this  sentimental  nonsense?" 

"  If  no  man's  ahead  of  me  I'll  wait,"  reiterated 
Jay  doggedly ;  "  but  we'll  be  good  friends  till  you 
change  your  mind.  Good-night  now.  Miss 
Marian,"  and  with  a  look  on  his  face  which  was 
far  from  sweet,  Jay  strode  off  into  the  darkness. 


208  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  roses  and  the  jasmine  were  still  blooming 
out  of  doors,  and  there  had  been  only  two 
Northers  when  Christmas  day  arrived.  Piper, 
the  cowboy  with  the  broken  leg,  had  returned 
from  San  Antonio  and  with  the  others  had  laid 
in  a  stock  of  old  Old  Kentucky  whiskey  in  honor 
of  the  occasion.  Even  those  who  never  indulged 
in  libations  at  any  other  time  allowed  themselves 
this  privilege  on  Christmas  day.  That,  with  a 
pyrotechnical  display,  and  a  noise  more  suitable 
to  the  Fourth  of  July,  seemed  to  be  the  approved 
manner  of  celebrating  the  day  on  the  D.  L.  Ranch. 

"  Christmas  gift !  "  screamed  everyone  on  en- 
tering the  room,  or  those  in  the  room  screamed  it 
first,  as  people  are  wont  to  do  in  a  game  called 
"  menagerie."  The  event  of  the  day  was  the  ar- 
rival of  a  Christmas  box  from  Marian's  father, 
containing  several  pounds  of  Huyler's  candy — an 
unheard  of  luxury  in  Texas — also  a  small  present 
for  each  of  the  boys  and  a  larger  one  for  mem- 
bers of  the  family.     Marian  received  a  handy 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  209 

volume  edition  of  Shakespeare,  which  she  decided 
at  once  to  hand  over  to  Mrs.  Majberrj,  knowing 
that  her  father  would  not  care.  Aunt  Phoebe 
was  overjoyed  at  becoming  the  possessor  of  a 
black  silk  dress,  and  Uncle  Dan  had  a  meer- 
schaum pipe  which  pleased  him  so  much  that  he 
declared  it  should  be  buried  with  him.  A  gold 
Avatch  for  Bess  rendered  that  volatile  joung  wo- 
man happy,  and  her  attentions  to  Marian  for  the 
rest  of  the  day  were  overpowering. 

A  few  days  after  Christmas  Marian  was  sitting 
in  her  room  writing  to  her  father  and  enjoying 
the  warmth  of  her  small  stove,  as  the  coldest 
Norther  of  the  season  was  blowing  outside. 

"  I  am  getting  to  be  quite  an  expert  rider,''  she 
wrote,  "  though  I  shall  never  equal  Bess.  At  first 
I  had  many  falls  from  my  horse,  but  as  I  fell  on 
the  soft  grass  it  didn't  hurt  me  at  all.  You  should 
have  seen  me  the  first  time  I  tried  to  jump  a 
fence.  Barebones  and  I  landed  squarely  in  the 
middle  of  it,  greatly  to  the  discomfiture  of  us 
both.  Luckily  it  w^as  not  a  barbed  wire.  At  one 
time  I  would  haye  been  thrown  into  a  ditch  but 
for  the  oportune  help  of  Mr.  Carruth,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  near  and  who  with  wonderful  dexter- 
ity and  agility,  snatched  me  from  the  horse  as  he 
went  down.  My  feet  had  been  shaken  from  the 
14 


210  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

stirrup  by  the  jar,  and  just  as  I  was  about  to 
plunge  over  the  animaPs  head " 

Marian's  epistle  was  interrupted  at  this  point 
by  a  knock  at  the  door,  and  to  her  cordial  "  come 
in  "  in  walked  Jack  Packer. 

"  May  I  shave  in  here?  "  he  asked.  "  It's  colder 
than  Greenland  in  my  room,  and  besides  I  feel 
kinder  nervous  with  Boss  and  Old  Miss  gone. 
They're  over  to  call  on  Mrs.  Mayberry,  and  the 
house  is  as  silent  as  the  tomb.    Where's  Bess?  " 

"  Taking  a  nap,"  answered  Marian. 

"What's  the  matter  with  your  room?"  he 
asked  as  he  looked  about  him  curiously.  "  Looks 
like  you  was  moving." 

Marian  laughed.  "  Bess  has  been  examining 
my  wardrobe,"  she  said.  "  She  is  not  a  very 
orderly  person  and  I  have  been  too  busy  to  put 
them  away." 

"  Your  things  are  plumb  lovely,  sure  enough, 
but  I  wouldn't  know  what  half  of  them  were  for. 
Oh,  Lord ! "  he  groaned  as  he  fell  over  the  small 
stove. 

Then,  calmly  adjusting  the  hot  funnel,  he  re- 
marked that  he  guessed  it  was  as  good  as  ever, 
and  proceeded  to  shave  before  Marian's  dressing- 
table  talking  at  intervals. 

"  I'm  elected  sheriff  sure  enough  this  time, 
Miss  Marian,"  he  said  calmly.    "  Old  Bixby  was 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  211 

killed  two  days  ago.  Bob  has  just  come  from 
Xantus  in  a  carriage  to  drive  me  back.  Tell 
Boss  he  can  send  the  money  he  owes  me  right 
to  Xantus,  whenever  he  gets  good  and  ready. 
I'm  not  in  the  slightest  hurry  for  it." 

"Please  let  me  give  it  to  you  now,"  urged 
Marian,  "  Uncle  Dan  will  give  it  right  back  to 
me." 

"Of  course  I  won't,"  he  said  looking  at  her 
indignantly,  with  the  razor  half  raised,  and  one 
side  of  his  face  covered  with  lather. 

"  But  I'm  not  giving  it  to  you.  It  will  simply 
be  more  convenient  for  Uncle  Dan  to  hand  it  to 
me  than  to  send  it  to  Xantus." 

"  Don't  matter  how  you  put  it,  I  won't  touch 
it.  Don't  say  another  word.  I'm  plumb  sorry  I 
mentioned  it." 

"  Oh,  well,  if  you  feel  that  way,  I'll  take  back 
my  suggestion,"  laughed  the  girl. 

"  You're  awful  kind.  Miss  Marian, — everybody 
says  that,  and  I  know  you  meant  all  right," 
he  replied  magnanimously  and  the  subject  was 
dropped. 

"  Once  I  had  a  terrible  toothache,"  he  con- 
tinued. "  Boss  said  the  nerve  was  dying.  I 
couldn't  get  at  a  doctor  so  after  I'd  been  awake 
for  a  night  or  two  I  just  heated  a  wire  and  ran 
it  down  the  hole." 


212  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Marian  gave  him  a  look  of  horror. 

"  I  jumped  lively  for  a  few  moments  but  it  did 
the  business  and  I  slept  good  the  next  night." 

"  Speaking  of  not  sleeping,"  he  said  collecting 
his  shaving  materials,  "  they  say  if  you  put  a 
leaf  of  the  Bible  under  your  pillow  it  will  cure 
insomnia." 

Marian  looked  incredulous. 

"  Honest !  I  can  tell  you  who  told  me.  It  was 
Hyslop."  This  last  in  a  tone  which  carried  con- 
viction. 

"  Does  it  make  any  difference  what  leaf?  "  she 
asked  quizzically. 

"  I  don^t  know,  but  I  reckon  not." 

"  Perhaps  the  fly-leaf  would  do." 

"  Now,  Miss  Marian,  you  are  just  laughing  at 
me.  Thank  you  for  letting  me  shave  here.  You 
certainly  are  the  sweetest  girl  I  ever  knew,  and 
I'll  remember  you  to  my  dying  day,"  and  he 
kissed  her  hand  as  he  departed. 

"  Poor  Jack !  His  dying  day  may  not  be  far 
off,  now  he  is  sheriff,"  she  thought  looking  after 
him  as  he  rode  away. 

That  night,  when  her  uncle  and  aunt  returned 
she  related  the  incident  to  them.  Uncle  Dan  was 
very  grave. 

"  Jack  is  a  fine  lad,"  he  said.  "  I  should  hate 
to  have  anything  happen  to  him." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  213 

"  Marian,"  broke  in  Aunt  Phoebe,  "  it's  goin'  to 
be  awful  cold  to-night.  I  want  you  to  go  down 
to  Jack's  room  and  get  a  quilt  that's  in  his 
closet.  Jack's  gone  and  Sid  is  down  to  the  pen, 
so  you  can  walk  right  in." 

Marian  accordingly  made  her  way  to  the  room 
at  the  end  of  the  long  ell  which  she  entered  with- 
out knocking.  Groping  along  to  the  closet  at  the 
end  of  the  room  she  suddenly  felt  the  touch  of 
cold  steel  against  her  face,  and  a  voice  said, 
"Who  are  you?" 

"Marian!"  she  gasped.  "Aunt  Phoebe  sent 
me  foi?  a  quilt.  She  thought  you  were  down  to 
the  pen.    How  you  frightened  me !  " 

"Well,  you  frightened  me/'  said  the  boy, 
"  coming  rustling  in  in  the  dark.  I'll  get  your 
quilt,"  and  in  a  moment  he  thrust  it  into  her 
hand. 

"Who  is  it?"  asked  Marian  as  the  boy,  over- 
come with  sudden  modesty,  had  dived  down  and 
even  stuck  his  head  under  the  bed  clothes. 

"  It's  Piper,"  he  said.  "  Walter  didn't  get  back 
to-day  as  we'd  expected,  and  I  got  nervous  and 
came  in  to  sleep  with  Sid." 

"  Walter  not  back !  " 

"  No  and  I'm  dreadfully  worried.  He's  Tom's 
brother,  you  know^  and  perhaps  they've  hurt 
him." 


214  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  I'll  speak  to  Uncle  about  it,"  the  girl  assured 
him  in  a  tone  of  deep  concern,  as  she  hurried  from 
the  room. 

Uncle  Dan  took  the  news  calmly.  "  The  boys 
often  stay  longeron  we  expect  when  they  don't 
get  their  work  done  up  in  time,"  he  answered. 

"  If  he  don't  come  back  to-morrow  I'm  going 
after  him  myself,"  Marian  asserted  stoutly. 

The  old  man  took  his  pipe  out  of  his  mouth 
and  stared. 

"  What !  ride  twenty  miles  alone !  " 

"  I  will." 

"  No,  I  promise  you  if  he  isn't  back  by  noon 
to-morrow  I'll  send  two  of  the  boys  after  him." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  215 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Immediately  after  breakfast  the  two  boys, 
glad  to  get  a  holiday,  started  out  provided  with 
blankets,  in  case  they  had  to  stay  over  night,  with 
slickers  in  case  of  rain,  and  plenty  of  provisions, 
which  might  be  of  great  service  to  Walter.  At 
the  thought  of  what  might  be,  they  both  grew 
very  sober.  If  he  were  all  right  he  would 
certainly  be  out  of  provisions.  Soon  youth  and 
natural  exuberance  of  feeling  banished  their  mo- 
mentary apprehension  however,  and  they  went 
on  their  way  rejoicing.  Over  hill  and  dale  they 
went,  slowly  at  first,  then,  impelled  by  an  un- 
expressed foreboding  which  increased  as  the 
silence  and  loneliness  of  the  place  became  more 
impressive,  they  urged  their  horses  on  to  a  con- 
tinual gallop,  scarcely  slackening  at  the  river 
fords  nor  down  the  rocky  banks  until  they 
reached  the  third  pasture. 

The  cows,  scattered  here  and  there,  were 
languidly  grazing  or  contentedly  chewing  their 
cud;  some  were  gathered  round  the  base  of  the 
big  windmill,  v/hich  at  that  moment  was  whirling 


216  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

at  a  brisk  rate,  but  nowhere  was  there  a  sign 
that  Walter  had  ever  been  there. 

Choosing  each  a  horse  from  the  number  of 
semi-wild  ones  that  galloped  round  the  field  in 
company  with  the  more  moderately  moving  cows, 
they  succeeded  in  roping  and  saddling  them,  ob- 
serving at  the  same  time  that  the  horse  Walter 
rode  w^as  not  with  them.  They  mounted  at  once 
and,  riding  in  opposite  directions,  searched 
thoroughly  and  steadily,  investigating  every 
cedar  break  for  a  trace  of  the  dead  or  injured 
body  of  Walter  Mayberry.  Then,  when  darkness 
put  an  effectual  end  to  that  day's  search,  they 
met  again  by  the  big  windmill,  agreeing  to  start 
out  at  the  first  ray  of  daylight  to  the  river,  which 
ran  wide  and  clear  through  the  third  pasture. 

Not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring  that  early 
morning.  The  awful  stillness  of  the  day  in- 
creased their  tension  of  feeling,  accustomed 
though  they  were  to  being  alone.  They  spoke  in 
whispers  as  they  rode  along,  stopping  simultane- 
ously at  intervals  to  sniff  the  air,  as  if  to  detect 
the  presence  of  gun  powder.  Then  they  would 
listen  attentively  to  catch  the  sound  of  anything 
but  the  beating  of  their  own  hearts,  or  the  im- 
patient stamp  of  their  horses'  feet. 

"  I  haven't  seen  no  buzzards,  Sid,"  whispered 
Piper. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  21 


^n 


They  moved  on  more  quickly  than  before  until, 
reaching  the  steep  rocky  incline  which  led  to  the 
river,  they  dashed  down  with  imminent  risk  of 
breaking  their  precious  necks  by  some  turning 
stone.  They  galloped  as  if  Jesse  James  and  all 
his  crew  were  close  upon  their  heels.  Up  and 
down  the  river's  edge  they  searched  in  vain, 
stopping  now  and  then  to  give  the  loud  cowboy 
call  and  to  listen  for  even  a  faint  response.  They 
gazed  into  the  clear  depths  of  the  river,  down  to 
the  sandy  bottom  which  could  be  clearly  seen, 
but  finally  returned  to  their  starting  point  on  the 
river's  bank  to  sink  down  discouraged  and  ex- 
hausted. 

"  Won't  you  take  a  bite  of  something  to  eat?  " 
said  Piper,  looking  at  Sid. 

"Not  a  mouthful  could  I  get  down,"  replied 
Sid,  taking  a  pull  at  the  canteen  by  his  side.  "  I 
was  awful  fond  of  the  little  cuss." 

Suddenly  jumping  up  he  pointed  across  the 
stream  with  great  excitement. 

"What's  that  big  placard  on  that  tree  over 
yonder?  " 

"Where?" 

"  That  big  tree  across  the  river,  beside  the  Al- 
gerita  bush !    Don't  you  see  it?  " 

The  two  boys  stood  for  a  second  as  if  they  saw 
a  real  ghost^  then  Sid,  springing  on  his  horse, 


218  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

dashed  into  the  water  and  swam  to  the  opposite 
bank.  Back  again  he  came,  holding  the  placard 
in  his  hand.    On  it  was  written  in  huge  letters: 

*'Tell  Tom  Mayberry  the  day  that  Joe  Carruth  is  taken 
Walter  Mayberry  dies." 

That  was  all,  but  it  was  enough  and  too  much 
time  had  been  wasted  already.  Up  the  hill  the 
boys  dashed  again,  their  spirits  rising  in  spite 
of  the  trouble  before  them,  and  too  excited  to 
feel  any  fatigue.  After  remounting  their  now 
rested  horses  they  made  straight  for  the  May- 
berry ranch.  Stopping  only  to  leave  the  placard 
and  tell  their  story  they  pushed  on  to  the  Luce 
ranch  with  the  sad  intelligence,  and  added  the 
information  that  Tom  Mayberry,  w^th  one  of  the 
boys,  had  started  out  at  once  and  would  pick  up 
as  many  more  as  they  could  on  the  way;  that 
Tom  would  never  come  back  till  he  found  Wal- 
ter ;  that  if  Boss  could  only  spare  Gus  they  would 
like  him  to  take  charge  of  the  Mayberry  ranch ; 
that  Mrs.  Mayberry  was  almost  insane  with  grief 
and  fear,  and  begged  that  Marian  would  go  to 
stay  with  her  until  her  boys  returned. 

Uncle  Dan  felt  that  he  must  spare  Gus  even  if 
he  himself  would  have  to  work  harder  and  take 
more  responsibility,  and  said  that  of  course  Mar- 
ian would  go  to  Mrs.  Mayberry. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  219 


CHAPTER   XXIV. 

Poor  Tom,  not  knowing  where  to  go,  rode  on 
for  days  with  his  faithful  companions,  eating 
only  to  keep  up  his  strength,  and  pausing  for 
rest  only  when  darkness  prevented  his  search. 
He  stopped  at  all  the  nearby  ranches,  wherever 
he  could  find  one  or  two  men  who  were  willing 
to  risk  their  lives  in  helping  him. 

"  We've  got  to  go  down  into  Mexico,  that's 
where  he'll  be,"  advised  one  of  the  men,  "  and 
too  many  of  us  mustn't  be  seen  together." 

So,  arranging  a  signal  in  case  of  immediate 
need,  and  a  meeting  place  at  night,  they  sepa- 
rated into  groups  of  two;  Tom  singing  at  inter- 
vals, 

"  I've  Grossed  deep  waters  for  you,  my  dear. 
What  more  could  a  poor  man  do  ? " 

He  half  hoped  that,  hearing  the  old  familiar 
song  in  his  brother's  voice,  Walter  might  come 
crawling  from  some  cedar  brake,  or  suddenly 
arise  from  the  gTOund. 

Night  after  night  he  returned  to  the  camp, 
tired  but  determined. 


220  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  I'll  never  give  up  till  I  find  him/'  lie  would 
say,  and  "  we'll  all  stand  by  yer,  Boss,"  would  be 
the  answer  in  a  chorus  of  voices.  "  If  we  do  find 
him,  we'll  feel  our  lives  ain't  so  worthless  as  they 
have  been,"  and  their  rough  sympathy  cheered 
his  heart  and  gave  him  renewed  courage. 

It  was  nearly  a  month  after  Tom  and  his 
friends  had  crossed  the  borders  into  Mexico, 
when  one  night  Tom  and  his  companion  came 
upon  an  apparently  deserted  camp-fire,  one  of 
many  which  he  had  passed.  They  halted  a  mo- 
ment and,  gazing  round  the  scene  and  across  the 
dark  field  beyond,  Tom  sadly  and  almost  uncon- 
sciously sang  the  old  song,  "  I'd  cross  deep 
waters  for  you,  my  dear,"  when  at  the  sound  a 
slender  form  stole  out  of  a  cedar  brake  before 
them  holding  up  one  hand,  and  placing  the  fin- 
gers of  the  other  hand  upon  his  lips  in  token  of 
silence. 

"  Walter ! "  gasped  Tom  nearly  falling  from 
his  horse,  and  springing  down  he  clasped  the 
slight  figure  in  his  arms. 

"  Come  at  once.  Don't  stop  to  talk,"  he  whis- 
pered hoarsely. 

"  I  can't,  Tom.  I've  given  my  word  of  honor 
never  to  leave  Joe  Carruth  till  he  is  caught  or 
dead.  Then  I  am  at  liberty  to  seek  my  own 
safety." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  221 

^^  Why  did  you  ever  promise  such  a  thing?  " 

"  It  was  either  that  or  instant  death,  and  if 
you  take  me  away  they'll  find  me  again  and  kill 
me." 

Without  replying  Tom  seized  Walter  and  with 
the  help  of  John  bound  him  on  his  own  horse; 
then  John  quickly  led  him  away  to  the  cross- 
roads, the  place  of  meeting  of  Tom's  friends. 

Then  Tom  waited  alone  till  two  men  who  had 
heard  his  signal  met  him.  He  gave  them  a  hur- 
ried account  of  the  preceding  scene. 

"  I'm  going  to  get  Joe  Carruth  now,  dead  or 
alive,"  he  said,  his  eyes  flashing. 

"  All  right,  Boss,  it's  just  as  you  say,"  they 
answered,  and  the  two  men  alighted  at  once, 
throwing  the  reins  over  their  horses'  heads  and 
leaving  them  to  graze  at  a  safe  but  convenient 
distance. 

The  three  men  stood  quietly  waiting  together, 
when,  almost  without  the  sound  of  a  footstep, 
Joe  Carruth  stood  facing  Tom.  In  the  semi- 
darkness  he  had  probably  mistaken  him  for  his 
brother,  but  Tom  did  not  stop  to  consider  that 
question.  Quick  as  lightning  he  seized  him  about 
the  waist,  and  a  fierce  struggle  ensued  amid 
flash  after  flash  of  revolvers  which  lighted  up  the 
twilight  and  showed  a  similar  struggle  going  on 
between  the  friends  of  each  party. 


222  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Men  were  falling  and  groaning  around  him, 
and  none  were  able  to  help  Tom  cope  with  the 
powerful  outlaw,  who  now  by  a  dexterous  thrust 
of  the  arm  about  Tom^s  waist,  seized  his  revolver. 
Tom  bore  down  upon  the  wrist  and  held  it  firm. 
For  a  second  the  two  men,  friends  from  child- 
hood, gazed  into  each  other's  eyes,  Tom  seeing 
those  of  a  wild,  hunted  animal,  and  Joe  encount- 
ering a  calm  determination  which  death  itself 
could  not  daunt.  Suddenly  Tom's  endurance, 
born  of  regular  habits  and  honest  labor,  gained 
the  advantage,  and  after  one  final  struggle  Joe 
was  on  the  ground,  with  Tom's  whole  weight  on 
his  chest.  Before  the  exhausted  Joe  could  renew 
his  efforts,  Tom  struck  him  a  quick  blow  with  the 
butt  of  his  revolver,  and,  seeing  him  stretched  ap- 
parently lifeless  before  him,  turned  away  his 
head  with  a  feeling  of  sickness. 

"  You  ain't  used  to  striking  a  man  when  he's 
down,  and  it  hurts,  don't  it,  Tom?"  said  a  voice 
behind  him,  and  springing  quickly  to  his  feet  he 
looked  into  the  eyes  of  Hyslop. 

"  You  here !    What  a  man  you  are !  "  he  ex- 
claimed. 

"  You  see  the  secret  service  never  let  up  till 
they  bag  their  man,"  he  answered.  "  I've  been 
hunting  him  ever  since  and  Osterhandt  and  the 
others  are  waiting  for  me  at  the  other  end.    The 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  223 

kid  thinks  he'll  get  a  lot  of  glory  but  I'm  afraid 
youVe  stolen  our  thunder." 

As  they  looked  about  among  the  prostrate 
forms,  some  of  whom  were  unknown  to  them,  they 
recognized  Piearda,  evidently  dead,  Jakes,  badly 
wounded,  and  one  of  Tom's  men  dead.  While  the 
latter  stopped  to  feel  his  friend's  heart  he  looked 
about  him  anxiously. 

"  Where's  Doc?  "  he  said. 

"  Here  I  am,  Boss,"  said  a  feeble  voice  near- 
by, and  a  form  came  to  a  sitting  posture ;  "  I  was 
clean  knocked  silly,  but  no  wounds  worth  men- 
tioning." 

"  Here's  something  worthy  of  interest,  Tom," 
called  out  Hyslop,  and  Tom  walked  over  to  be- 
hold the  prostrate  form  of  Sin  Killer  Jones  who 
glared  up  at  him  in  impotent  rage. 

"  And  we  nearly  lost  our  lives  for  this  rascal !  " 
he  thought,  his  memory  bringing  before  him  that 
night  in  Athens  and  the  brave  girl,  the  thought 
of  whom  for  a  moment  shut  out  the  scene  before 
him. 

"  Look  out.  Boss,"  yelled  Doc,  and  before 
Tom  could  jump  to  one  side  the  prostrate  man 
aimed  his  six  shooter  directly  at  him  and  pulled 
the  trigger.  It  was  empty  and  he  dropped  it 
with  an  oath. 

"  He's  the  worst  snake  on  God's  earth !  "  said 


224  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

the  disgusted  Hyslop.  "  I  can  hardly  keep  my 
hands  off  of  him." 

"  Joe's  men  may  be  back  any  minute,"  called 
Doc,  rising  unsteadily  to  his  feet;  "hadn't  we 
better  get  out  of  this?  " 

Just  at  that  moment  they  heard  the  sound  of 
horses'  feet  and  four  men  appeared. 

"  It's  our  men,"  shouted  the  delighted  Hyslop, 
and  Tom  saw  the  familiar  faces  of  two  of  the 
supposed  cattlemen,  also  Osterhandt  and  Jack 
Packer,  the  new  sheriff. 

"  I  have  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Joseph 
Carruth  and  Winthrop  Jones,"  said  the  sheriff 
jumping  from  his  horse. 

"  All  right,  they're  both  here,"  cried  the  joyful 
detective.  "  Come,  Tom,  we'll  put  Joe  on  his 
horse,  and  I  s'pose  we'll  have  to  take  along  that 
cuss,"  glaring  at  Sin  Killer  Jones. 

Commanding  Joe's  horse  to  kneel,  th^  lifted 
Joe,  now  securely  bound,  and  fastened  him  across 
the  saddle.  The  outlaw  had  recovered  conscious- 
ness, but  did  not  speak.  As  the  horse  regained 
his  feet  with  some  difficulty,  Joe  looked  about 
with  keen  interest. 

"  Say,  old  man,"  said  Osterhandt  leaning  over 
Sin  Killer  Jones,  "  don't  you  want  to  come  up 
and  be  saved?  I  suppose  you  feel  you're  all 
right,  'cause  you've  never  danced  a  step  in  your 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  225 

life. — His  leg  is  broken,"  he  added,  but  no  one 
seemed  to  feel  troubled  at  the  intelligence,  and 
the  "  Sin  Killer  "  was  tied  on  the  back  of  one  of 
the  waiting  horses. 

While  the  men  were  hastily  digging  three 
graves  by  the  light  of  the  flickering  camp-fire,  the 
detective  went  his  rounds,  collecting  the  few  fire- 
arms, and  delving  here  and  there  into  the  ground 
where  there  seemed  evidences  of  hidden  treasure ; 
at  the  same  time  glancing  frequently  at  the  faces 
of  the  prisoners — shaggy,  unkempt  men,  who 
looked  larger  and  fiercer  by  the  fitful  light  which 
drew  out  their  shadows  to  enormous  lengths  and 
alternately  effaced  or  illumined  their  faces  with 
a  brilliant  red  light.  The  ceremony  of  burial 
over,  the  cavalcade  proceeded  islowly  towards 
the  cross  roads. 

"  It's  all  right.  May,  my  boy,''  said  Joe  Car- 
ruth,  looking  sadly  but  affectionately  at  Walter 
as  he  saw  him  bound  on  the  horse  at  the  cross 
roads.  "  You  kept  your  word  like  a  man,  and 
I'll  keep  mine.  Whatever  becomes  of  me  in  the 
future  you  are  as  free  as  air  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned. 

The  tears  came  into  Walter's  eyes.  "  I'm  so 
sorry  for  you,  Joe,"  he  said. 

"  It's  all  right,"  repeated  the  outlaw.  "  The 
game's  up  just  now,  but  I'm  sure  to  escape.  It 
15 


226  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

seemed  like  old  times  when  you  were  with  me, 
kid." 

Then  turning  to  Tom  he  went  on,  "  I  don't  bear 
3^ou  any  grudge,  Tom,  you  couldn't  have  done 
any  different.  I  see  how  it  is  now  I've  talked 
with  Walt.  I  heard  you  were  hanging  about  the 
Luce  ranch  all  the  time." 

Tom  flushed  hotly,  as  Marian's  face  rose  before 
^40.  His  heart  ached  with  sympathy  for  his 
<^;^$$.sin  and  childhood  companion,  as  they  rode 
#J^iy  homeward.  Walter,  now  unbound,  rode 
>^  v^ue  side  and  Tom  on  the  other  of  the  bold  out- 
|fel?i  and  both  longed  intensely  to  see  the  faces  of 
:|%^f  dear  ones  again. 

^f'^.st  before  they  reached  the  cross  roads,  Joe 
If^^ggled  to  free  himself.  "  I'm  not  trying  to 
^ff^:^e,  boys,"  he  said,  "  but  I  can  smell  the  old 
-^^i^av  fragrance  of  the  honeysuckle  and  the  Al- 
||i*i,H^  blossoms.  Let  me  sit  straight.  I  give  you 
klf  ^r^rd  I'll  net  try  to  escape." 

'^'??^^at's  quite  enough  from  Joe,  boys,"  said 
^t:-:^.^  ".md  his  hands  and  feet  were  unbound. 

Kk  1-by,  old  chap,"  he  said,  as  Tom  and 
WtM^  ':x>ok  the  road  towards  home.  "  Don't  you 
m^l\IV/  Kiirself  about  me.  A  man  ain't  dead  till 
h^J-:-\ii^0A.  and  don't  you  forget  it." 


A  COWBOl  CAVALIER.  227 


CHAPTER   XXV. 

The  brief  winter  season  had  almost  worn 
away  and  there  w^ere  signs  of  spring  in  the  air, 
once  more  sweet  with  the  scent  of  the  Alger ita, 
when  early  one  morning  a  voice  was  heard  under 
Marian's  window  singing, 

"  I'd  cross  deep  waters  for  you,  my  dear." 

Mrs.  Mayberry  sprang  out  of  bed  at  the  sound, 
rushed  to  the  door  and  was  almost  lost  in  the  em- 
braces of  her  two  sons,  while  Marian  dressed 
hastily,  her  hands  trembling  so  that  she  could 
hardly  accomplish  the  task. 

"  Poor  Joe  is  on  his  way  to  the  prison  at  Xan- 
tus,"  said  Walter  sadly,  when  the  first  joy  of 
greeting  was  over.  "  I  dread  to  meet  Jay, — it 
will  almost  kill  him." 

"  Oh,  no ! ''  his  mother  answerd  comfortably. 
''  Jay  felt  that  he  would  ye  taken,  but  he  is  sure 
he  will  escape  before  he  is  brought  to  trial. 

"  He's  been  here  a  good  deal,"  she  added  turn- 


228  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

ing  to  Tom,  "  both  to  get  news  from  you  and  to 
see  Marian.  He  will  be  truly  pleased  to  hear 
that  Walter  is  all  right.'^ 

"To  see  Marian?''  he  repeated  anxiously, 
ignoring  the  last  part  of  her  remark. 

"Yes, — but  you  needn't  feel  alarmed,  I  am 
sure  she  doesn't  love  him,"  and  she  patted  his 
hand  affectionately. 

"  Nor  me,  I  fear,"  he  added  with  dejection. 

"  I  don't  see  how  she  can  help  loving  you,"  the 
mother  answered  looking  at  him  with  pride,  "  but 
Northern  girls  are  different  from  ours  and  I 
don't  understand;  but  come  and  eat  your  break- 
fast.   I  expect  you're  both  half  starved." 

"  Bill  Wilder  is  here,"  she  added  as  she  led 
the  way  into  the  dining-room.  "  He  is  going  back 
to  the  Luce  ranch  this  morning,  and  I  think 
Gus  and  Marian  will  go  in  the  carriage  with  him. 
He  brought  instructions  for  them  to  return  just 
as  soon  as  you  appeared.  Bill's  in  an  awful 
state,  between  anxiety  and  semi-drunkenness,  but 
Walter  and  Marian  can  drive,  and  Gus  can 
take  care  of  Bill." 

Tom  looked  grave.  "  How  can  Daniel  Luce 
take  back  into  his  employ  a  man  like  Bill?"  he 
said. 

Meanwhile  Marian  and  all  the  boys — whose 
scanty  toilets  needed  little  time  or  attention — 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  229 

had  appeared  on  the  scene,  and  there  was  no 
chance  for  pursuing  the  subject. 

Tom  gave  Marian  a  quick  hand-clasp  and  a 
look  which  spoke  volumes.  She  pressed  his  hand 
wdth  a  cordial  frankness.  Then,  turning,  she 
kissed  Walter  on  the  forehead,  to  that  young 
man's  confusion  and  the  delighted  acclamation 
of  the  boys. 

"  I  reckon  we-all  will  go  and  get  lost  im- 
mediately," drawled  one  of  them.  "  You're  sure 
putting  a  premium  on  kidnapping.  Miss  Marian." 

The  story  was  told  over  and  over  again,  amid 
various  interjections  of  joy  and  amazement. 

"  The  wicked  shall  dig  a  pit,  and  fall  into  it 
himself,"  said  Mrs.  Mayberry. 

"  Yes!  "  said  Gus.  "  If  Joe'd  had  the  sense  to 
clear  out  and  let  us  all  alone,  Tom  wouldn't  have 
interfered  with  him ;  but  he  just  fixed  things  so 
he  plumb  had  to." 

^'  How  did  Bill  escape? "  asked  Tom  in  an 
undertone. 

"  Oh,  there  was  no  evidence  against  him.  He's 
too  cute  for  that." 

"I  hate  to  let  you  go  out  of  my  sight,  Walter 
dear,  so  soon  after  welcoming  you  back  almost 
from  the  grave,"  said  his  mother  tenderly,  "  but 
no  one  else  can  go  with  Marian."  Then  to  the 
girl  she  said,  "  My  child,  I  cannot  thank  you  for 


230  A  COWBOY  cmM^M^- 

all  you  have  done  for  me.  "^fi  tef «s^  feeen  an  in- 
expressible comfort." 

"  I  couldn't  have  been  h^ff^^  4%Where  but 
with  you,"  returned  Marian,  ^lii&%tf  ^  vivid  red 
as  she  got  into  the  carriage  wl!*^^^  i^M  ^ust  driven 
up. 

She  looked  somewhat  aska^t%  4t  the  morose 
figure  on  the  back  seat,  and.  l^^>m  taking  her 
place  beside  the  gentle  Waltei^i^kj^  whispered  to 
Gus,  "  I'm  really  afraid  of  IJ^^  he  seems  so 
wild."  V 

"You  needn't  worry,  I  can  r^  e  him,"  was 
his  comforting  assurance.  ^' 

So  they  drove  off,  Marian  wM  ,.'  -VT  hand  to 
the  kind  friends  who  stood  on  ^  y^  f/^'^  (b.  watch- 
ing their  departure. 

All  went  well  for  a  time.  M(V.uv;>  V:w  •:  "Walter 
chatted  together,  or  tactfully  a^^.*  vu  <\^«th  the 
quarrelsome  Bill  till  he  became  ^Sit^iM  Unbear- 
able. Finally,  the  long-suffering  W^i^^'  was 
goaded  by  the  sneers  directed  at  h\f  H^S^r  and 
observed  that  Bill  seemed  altogetto  t<^^  much 
interested  in  the  capture  of  Joe  Carftx&. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  you  da^iOlJ^ little 
ninny?"  screamed  Bill,  and,  quite  ucpt^iBif •"  1  of 
Marian's  presence,  he  pulled  out  his  tou'"  ,  life 
and,  holding  it  at  Walter's  throat,  ^  .led 
that  he  take  back  what  he  had  said. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  231 

Walter  turned  pale  but  neither  moved  nor 
spoke,  nor  did  he  relax  his  hold  on  the  reins. 

Before  Marian  could  say  a  word  Gus  pointed 
his  revolver  at  Bill,  roaring,  "  Put  up  that  knife, 
you  low-lived  cur !  Are  you  too  drunk  to  see  a 
lady  is  present?  " 

Bill  dropped  back  with  a  maudlin  apology,  but 
Gus  still  kept  him  under  cover,  and  Marian's 
mind  was  in  no  calm  state. 

"  Don't  you  be  afraid.  Miss  Marian,"  said 
Walter  in  an  undertone.  "  I  never  saw  him  as 
bad  as  this  before,  but  Gus  can  manage  him.'' 

The  mind  of  a  drunken  man,  like  that  of  a 
child,  is  easily  diverted,  so  Bill's  bluster  soon 
died  down,  and  he  contented  himself  with  bursts 
of  song  not  altogether  nice;  but,  no  one  pay- 
ing any  attention  to  them,  he  was  permitted  to 
warble  to  his  heart's  content. 

They  finally  reached  the  Luce  ranch  in  safety ; 
Walter  becoming  at  once  the  center  of  interest, 
so  that  the  whole  story  had  to  be  gone  over  again. 
Bess  turned  pale  and  put  her  hand  to  her  heart 
when  she  heard  of  Joe's  capture. 

"  Don't  you  be  frightened,  my  girl,"  said  Uncle 
Dan,  patting  her  arm  affectionately,  "  we'll  see 
that  he  doesn't  get  away  now  we've  got  him." 

"  I'll  never  feel  safe  while  he's  above  ground," 
she  answered  with  a  dark  look  in  her  eyes. 


232  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

"  Don't  it  beat  all,"  began  Bill  one  night,  in 
a  quarrelsome  mood,  "  how  Miss  Bess  dresses  up 
every  evening  now-a-days?  Comes  down  to  din- 
ner every  night  in  a  decollete  chiffonier,  or  what- 
ever you  call  dress  suits  for  girls." 

"  I  might  have  put  on  my  dress-suit  if  I  had 
realized  the  importance  of  it,"  laughed  Gus,  "  but 
we  so  seldom  dress  for  dinner  in  Texas  that  I 
have  become  somewhat  careless  in  that  respect." 

"  You-all  think  you're  powerful  smart,  don't 
you?  "  said  Bess  scornfully.  "  I  guess  I  can  put 
on  a  decent  dress  once  in  a  while  without  having 
so  much  fuss  made  over  it." 

"  Some  folks  have  to  dress  up  to  make  an  im- 
pression," gTOwled  Bill.  ^^  Miss  Marian's  hands 
are  pretty  enough  not  to  need  no  rings  to  set  'em 
off." 

"  That's  the  first  time  Bill  was  ever  known  to 
compliment  anybody,"  said  Tad  in  an  undertone. 

"  One  always  dresses  up  when  they're  engaged, 
don't  they,  Marian?"  and  Bess  turned  to  her 
cousin  for  support. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  233 

"  Of  course, — that  is — I  suppose  so,"  stam- 
mered Marian. 

"  Why  do  you  act  so  embarrassed?  "  laughed 
Gus.  "  By  the  way,  when  is  yours  to  be  an- 
nounced? '' 

"  Never !  I  couldn't  live  outside  of  New  York, 
and  that  is  perfectly  understood  by  everyone," 
she  answered  with  decision. 

"  Was  I  referring  to  anj^one  in  particular?'' 
he  queried  mischievously. 

"  I  am  very  happy  at  home  with  Papa,"  said 
Marian,  "  and  I  shall  never  love  any  man  as  I 
do  him." 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  you  are  honest  with  your- 
self, niece?  "  said  Uncle  Dan  affectionately. 

"  Well,  anyway.  Uncle  Dan,  people  can't  be 
happy  together  whose  whole  lives  have  been  so 
different,"  she  said,  earnestly. 

**  *  I  tell  you  love  lias  naught  to  do 
With  meetness  or  unmeetness."* 

quoted  Gus,  while  the  sentimental  cowboys  were 
very  quiet. 

Bess,  quite  unconscious  of  the  service  she  was 
rendering  her  cousin,  held  out  her  hand  in  which 
she  had  gathered  all  her  diamond  pins  and  rings. 
"  I've  just  two  thousand  dollars  worth  here," 
she  said.    "Who'll  buy?" 


234  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  You  mean  just  the  jewelry?  "  sneered  Bill. 
"  I  reckon  that's  all  that's  worth  much.'' 

"  Bill ! "  roared  Uncle  Dan  so  fiercely  that 
every  one  jumped.  "  You'll  go  a  little  bit  too  far 
with  that  ugly  tongue  of  yourn  some  day,  and 
then  you'll  have  to  reckon  with  me.  I've  taken 
no  notice  of  your  ugliness,  'cause  it's  born  in  yer, 
but  you've  got  to  let  Bess  alone  arter  this,"  and 
the  recalcitrant  William  was  cowed  for  the  first 
time. 

"  Beware  the  anger  of  a  patient  man,"  mur- 
mured Gus. 

"  The  trouble  with  Bess,"  whispered  Hugh,  "  is 
that  she's  just  getting  used  to  walkin'  on  car- 
pets." Then  aloud  he  said,  "  Gus,  ain't  this  a 
good  time  to  tell  your  wolf  story?  " 

"  Yes,  do  tell  it,"  urged  Marian. 

"  Oh,  it  isn't  much,"  laughed  Gus,  "  but  if  you 
tease  me  hard  enough  I'll  tell  it  to  you.  It  was 
when  I  was  a  kid  at  home.  The  older  boys  were 
all  off  camping  on  another  part  of  the  ranch, 
and  only  a  couple  of  niggers,  my  sisters,  Maw 
and  myself  were  in  the  ranch  house. 

"  Suddenly  we  heard  the  most  awful  hollering 
you  most  ever  heard;  I  thought  the  heavens 
must  be  falling,  sure.  Then  the  niggers  came  in 
tumbling  over  each  other  and  trembling  with 
fear.    I  ran  to  the  window  and  looking  out  saw  a 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  235 

large  cayote  falling  about  like  he  was  drunk. 
His  eyes  were  like  balls  of  fire,  and  he  was  froth- 
ing yellow  stuff  at  the  mouth. 

"  *  Just  get  my  gun  and  let  me  blaze  at  him/  I 
yelled,  and  one  of  the  niggers  ran  for  it.  I  was 
so  scared  with  the  unearthly  noise  the  beast  was 
making  that  I  trembled  like  a  leaf.  I  got  my  gun 
up  to  my  shoulder,  but  the  wolf  didn't  stand  and 
let  me  shoot  him,  nor  did  he  run  away,  as  any 
sane  wolf  would  have  done ;  but  he  just  wobbled 
from  side  to  side,  butting  his  head  all  the  time 
against  the  side  posts  of  the  house.  Poor  devil ! 
I  was  so  sort  of  horror-struck,  or  fascinated,  or 
whatever  the  feeling  was,  that  I  couldn't  shoot. 
I  just  knelt  there  with  the  gun  on  my  shoulder, 
and  watched  him  till  he  finally  butted  himself  to 
death." 

"  What  made  him  mad?  "  asked  Sid. 

"  Well,  there's  things  in  the  world  that'll  make 
even  a  wolf  mad,"  said  Gus  dryly ;  then,  assum- 
ing a  more  serious  air,  he  added,  "  madness  in 
animals  is  due  to  some  physical  derangement, 
and  is  often  caused  by  the  bite  of  some  other 
animal." 

"  Did  you  ever  hear  of  a  madstone?  "  inquired 
Fritz.  "  It  comes  from  the  stomach  of  a  diseased 
deer,  and  is  very  rare.  When  it  is  rubbed  on  the 
bite  of  a  mad  animal  it  is  a  sure  cure." 


236  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

'^  Especially  if  applied  at  the  increase  of  the 
moon.  Rather  fond  of  fairy  tales,  aren't  you, 
Fritz?''  inquired  Gus  sarcastically,  and  Fritz 
retired  into  his  shell,  feeling  much  discomforted. 

"  Girls,  we  are  going  dewberrying  some  day 
next  week,"  announced  Aunt  Phoebe. 

"  I  don't  want  to  doubt  your  honest  word, 
mother,"  replied  her  dutiful  offspring,  "  but  we 
ain't  goin'  to  tear  ourselves  to  pieces  in  those  old 
briers,  and  get  eat  up  by  moccasins  and  rattle- 
snakes for  a  little  mess  of  dewberries." 

"  I'll  go  with  you.  Auntie,"  said  Marian  pleas- 
antly, and  her  aunt's  face  brightened. 

"  We  might  go  to-morrow,"  she  suggested,  and 
Marian  assented. 

"  Jay  will  go  along  with  you  any  time  when 
your  aunt  can't  go,"  laughed  Gus,  but  Marian 
refused  to  hear  his  remark. 

It  was  still  early  morning  and  bade  fair  to 
be  a  very  hot  day  when  Aunt  Phoebe  came  into 
the  dining-room  where  Marian  was  taking  her 
breakfast,  and  declared  she  was  all  ready. 

"  Take  this  sunbonnet,"  she  commanded  when 
they  were  about  to  step  into  the  little  run-about. 

"  I  declare  for  it, — ^your  paw  will  never  forgive 
me  for  letting  you  get  so  brown.  You  don't  look 
like  you  was  white.  I  never  went  out  without  a 
sunbonnet  in  my  life." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  23^ 

"Why,  Auntie!  It  is  considered  very  stylish 
in  New  York  to  be  well  tanned/'  laughed  Mar- 
ian, and  drawing  on  the  old  gloves  her  aunt 
handed  her,  they  started  off.  Very  glad  she  was 
before  they  had  picked  long,  that  she  had  on 
those  old  gloves,  for  the  dewberry  vines  have  long 
and  sharp  prickles,  and  delighted  was  her  aunt 
at  the  rapidity  with  which  Marian  gathered  the 
berries,  declaring  that  northern  girls  had  twice 
the  "  sprawP'  of  southern  girls. 

But  the  dewberry  bushes  were  so  low  on  the 
ground  that  Marian  was  in  constant  dread  of 
putting  her  hand  on  a  snake,  while  it  was  diffi- 
cult to  find  the  bushes  growing  so  close  to  the 
long  grass;  before  she  realized  it  she  had  wan- 
dered far  out  of  sight  of  her  busy  aunt  whose 
whole  attention  was  absorbed  by  her  task. 

"  Now  IVe  sure  got  you  alone  for  a  moment," 
cried  a  voice  behind  her,  and  as  she  looked  hur- 
riedly round.  Jay,  who  had  stolen  noiselessly  up 
in  the  soft  grass,  sprang  down  to  her  side.  His 
face  was  flushed  and  his  eyes  bright,  but  whether 
with  excitement  or  drink  she  could  not  tell. 

"  How  you  startled  me ! "  she  said  with  a  ner- 
vous, half-frightened  laugh. 

"  Am  I  then  so  hideous  in  your  eyes?  "  he  de- 
manded. 

"  Not  that,  only  I  didn't  know  anyone  was 


238  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

near,"  she  stammered,  and  an  embarrassed 
silence  followed. 

"  Miss  Marian,"  began  Jaj  with  decision, 
"  youVe  avoided  me  of  late,  and  it's  just  no  use. 
You've  got  to  remember  one  thing.  I  love  you, 
and  you've  got  to  love  me.  You  are  sure  going 
to  be  my  wife  sometime." 

"  A  girl  can't  be  forced  into  loving,"  she  an- 
swered hotly.  "At  least  I  can't,  and  you  may 
as  well  give  up  that  idea  first  as  last." 

A  heated  argument  followed,  in  which  he  at- 
tempted to  seize  the  girl  in  his  arms  and  she 
warded  him  off  with  flashing  eyes,  when  the  re- 
port of  a  pistol  was  heard  behind  them,  and  turn- 
ing quickly  Marian  beheld  a  large  moccasin 
snake  with  his  head  shot  off,  giving  a  final 
wiggle  with  his  tail.  At  the  same  moment  Tom 
Mayberry  sprang  from  his  horse  just  in  time  to 
support  the  almost  fainting  girl. 

"  Damn  you !  "  cried  Jay  fiercely.  "  You  are 
always  butting  in  where  you're  not  wanted !  We 
might  as  well  fight  this  out  now^  as  at  any  other 
time,"  and  in  his  blind  rage  he  attempted  to 
strike  Tom,  who,  grasping  him  by  the  wrists, 
held  him  firmly. 

"  If  we  are  to  fight  let  it  be  like  gentlemen," 
he  said  sternly. 


'He  attempted  to  seize  the  girl  in  his  arms.'* 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  239 

"  Very  well,  only  let  it  be  soon,"  replied  Jay  as 
Tom  released  him. 

"Oh,  don't,  please  don't,  boys!"  begged  Mar- 
ian. "  It  seems  as  if  I  had  all  I  could  bear  this 
winter  without  causing  you  to  quarrel.  The  man 
who  will  beg  the  other's  pardon  for  my  sake,  I 
shall  feel  really  cares  the  most  for  me." 

"That  settles  the  matter;  here,  Tom,"  and 
Jay  held  out  his  hand  to  his  cousin  who  took  it 
mechanically  but  with  no  look  of  pleasure  on  his 
face. 

Jay  threw  back  his  head  with  a  quick  gesture, 
and,  turning  to  where  his  horse  was  standing, 
rode  off  without  once  casting  a  glance  behind 
him. 

"  Promise  me  you  won't  fight  with  him," 
begged  Marian  looking  up  into  Tom's  stern  face. 

"  Your  word  is  my  law,"  he  answered  gently. 
"  You  know  that  I  too  love  you,"  and  in  his  eyes 
was  infinite  tenderness.  "  I  feel  that  Jay  is  right 
when  he  said  I  have  lost  all  my  spirit.  But  then 
Jay  gave  his  word,  and  he  won't  try  to  break  it, 
so  in  any  case  you  needn't  worry."  Then  he  took 
both  her  hands  in  his  and  pressed  them  convul- 
sively as  with  inexpressible  longing  he  said,  "  I 
can't  honestly  blame  Jay,  for  I  w^ant  to  do  just 
the  same  thing."    Then,  releasing  her  hands  he 


240  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

hid  his  face  in  his  own  hands,  "  Oh,  I  do  love  you 
so,"  he  said  as  he  stifled  a  sob. 

Marian  did  not  speak;  she  was  too  deeply 
under  the  spell  of  this  man's  strong  nature. 

"  If  it  could  only  be !  '^  she  thought  passion- 
ately. "  I  am  almost  afraid  that  I  love  him !  I 
must  not,  indeed  I  must  not.  My  living  here  is 
out  of  the  question." 

Marian  felt  vaguely,  too,  that  so  great  a  love 
asked  a  great  return,  and  then,  too,  Tom  had 
such  archaic  notions  of  women  obeying  their  hus- 
bands. No,  a  marriage  between  two  such  people 
could  not  lead  to  happiness. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  have  said  this,"  she  murmured 
with  a  tremble  in  her  voice,  "  for  I  never  met  a 
man  before  whom  I  admired  as  I  do  you."  And 
turning  away  she  sobbed  convulsively — she 
scarcely  knew  why. 

"  Miss  Marian,"  he  said  impressively,  "  a  man 
can't  love  a  girl  without  studying  her,  and  I  be- 
lieve I  know  you  better  than  you  know  yourself. 
I  tell  you  that  you  care  more  for  me  than  you 
realize.  You  may  not  marry  me,  but  you  will 
never  forget  me." 

"  I  know  that  you  are  right,"  answered  the 
girl  brokenly,  "  and  I  am  not  sure  that  I  can  ever 
be  happy  without  you ;  anyway  I  don't  want  you 
to  feel  that  I  have  refused  you  absolutely,"  she 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  241 

entreated.  "  I  cannot  reason  clearly  now.  I 
may  be  influenced  by  the  novelty  of  everything. 
I  feel  that  it  would  be  hard  to  give  up  my  former 
life.  I  am  not  sure  that  I  do  not  love  you  as  you 
would  have  me,  but  I  must  return  to  my  life  in 
New  York  before  I  can  judge  wisely.  Will  you 
not  trust  me  to  return? '' 

"  It  shall  be  just  as  you  wish,  of  course,"  an- 
swered Tom  sadly,  "  but,  oh,  the  horror  of  having 
you  leave  me,  not  knowing  whether  you  will  ever 
return !    I  cannot  bear  to  think  of  it." 

"  Then  let  us  not  thi«ik  of  it,"  she  said  steadily. 
'^  Let  everything  be  as  it  was  before;  not  thinking 
of  any  change,  but  rejoicing  in  the  present  and 
in  our  sincere  friendship." 

"  So  be  it !  "  replied  Tom,  not  daring  to  trust 
himself  to  touch  her  hand  again.  "  I  will  pray 
every  day  that  God  may  give  me  your  love.  But, 
come  now,  dear,  I  hear  your  Aunt  Phoebe  calling. 
She  is  probably  wondering  what  has  got  you." 

"  I  fear  she  will  change  her  mind  about  my  in* 
dustry,"  laughed  Marian  tremulously,  as  she 
looked  down  into  her  half-filled  pail,  then  at  the 
dead  snake,  and  up  again  into  Tom's  eyes;  she 
longed  to  have  him  take  her  hand  again, 
16 


242  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

The  next  few  days  were  employed  in  viewing 
the  baby  animals  on  the  ranch,  the  little  pigs,  the 
calves,  ducks,  turkeys  and  geese. 

"Would  you  ever  believe  little  pigs  could  be 
so  pretty! "  exclaimed  Marian  in  delight. 

"  You  don't  really  care  for  those  foolish  things, 
do  you?"  asked  Bess  in  surprise.  "You're  just 
acting  tickled  to  be  polite." 

"  No,  I  really  do  like  them,"  said  Marian. 
"  The  little  turkeys  are  like  small  chickens,  and 
they  are  so  cunning,  running  after  the  big  mother 
turkeys.  The  little  geese  look  for  all  the  world 
like  diminutive  tugboats." 

"  None  of  those  little  things  are  as  beautiful 
in  my  eyes  as  these  old  hogs,"  commented  Aunt 
Phoebe,  gazing  with  pride  upon  those  that  had 
grown  up  under  her  supervision.  "  Look  at 
those  beautiful  fat  sides  shake,"  she  cried  in  de- 
light. "  Won't  we  have  some  good  old  hams  and 
sausages?  I  never  let  the  servants  touch  the 
sausage  meat.  I  make  every  sausage  with  my 
own  hands." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  243 

A  small  pickaninny  was  chasing  the  big  father 
turkey  when  the  gobbler  suddenly  turned,  and, 
with  tail  outspread  like  a  peacock's  and  beak 
wide  open,  advanced  upon  the  terrified  child,  who 
ran  quickly  the  other  way,  uttering  shrieks  of 
alarm.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goose, 
who  were  waddling  together  in  dignified  conver- 
sation, were  set  upon  by  the  collie.  Thrusting 
out  their  heads  with  a  hissing  sound  they  sent 
him  after  the  flying  child  with  yelps  of  pain. 

"  Don'  you-all  be  skeered  ob  dat  turkey,''  said 
Sambo  rescuing  his  offspring.  "  You-all's  goin' 
to  eat  up  dat  big  bird  some  day." 

Marian  had  so  grown  to  love  all  the  animals 
and  the  life  upon  the  ranch  that  she  would  gladly 
have  given  up  the  two  days'  trip  to  Xantus, 
planned  by  her  cousin  ostensibly  for  Marian's 
pleasure.  She  became  very  sad  whenever  the 
idea  returned  to  her  that  soon  she  would  be  leav- 
ing it  all,  perhaps  forever.  She  tried  to  forget 
it  and  forbade  the  mention  of  her  approaching 
departure. 

"  If  I  can  hardly  bear  to  leave  them  all  for  two 
days,"  she  thought,  "how  can  I  ever  bear  the 
final  separation?  " 

She  could  not  altogether  banish  from  her  mind 
the  dashing  Jay,  who  had  been  the  picture  of 
meekness  ever  since  the  dewberrying  episode. 


244  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  There  is  so  much  that  is  fine  in  him/^  she 
thought,  "  it  is  a  pity  that  he  cannot  be  a  little 
more  stable.  He  needs  the  help  of  a  good  wo- 
man." 

Tom  was  always  the  same  to  her,  a  gentle, 
tender  friend,  a  tower  of  strength ;  but  she  some- 
times found  herself  reflecting  that  he  lacked  the 
very  qualities  that  made  Jay  so  fascinating.  He 
held  himself  almost  too  well  in  hand.  Jay's  re- 
cent affront  had  been  unpardonable,  but  it  was 
because  he  loved  her,  and  what  woman  could  help 
forgiving  that !  His  dark  eyes  asked  forgiveness 
daily,  but  she  could  always  feel  the  fire  in  them 
that  kept  her  heart  from  being  Tom's  completely. 

The  boys  were  busy  branding  the  young  calves, 
which  was  accomplished  by  catching  them  round 
the  neck  with  a  lasso,  then  throwing  them  gently 
down  and  sitting  on  their  heads  while  the  mark 
was  quickly  made  with  a  hot  iron. 

The  work  of  breaking  in  the  young  horses  had 
also  commenced.  The  w^ld  little  creatures  would 
prance  about,  cutting  all  sorts  of  capers  before 
their  would-be  masters  could  mount  at  all.  Once 
upon  their  backs  the  fun  began  in  earnest  for 
both  rider  and  spectator.  Many  a  time  would 
the  boys  measure  their  length  upon  the  soft 
grass ;  but,  holding  a  tight  grasp  upon  the  reins, 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  245 

they  would  spring  up  and  remount  in  a  twink- 
ling. 

Marian  found  all  this  vastly  entertaining  and 
was  out  of  doors  all  day  long. 

One  sweltering  hot  night  in  April,  news  of  the 
greatest  importance  came  to  Jay  Carruth.  Wild 
Bill  brought  it  to  him  under  cover  of  the  dark- 
ness. In  spite  of  their  efforts  to  aid  in  his  escape, 
Joe  Carruth,  having  gotten  out  of  prison,  had 
been  tracked  and  recaptured  by  the  vigilant  Jack 
Packer. 

"  That  feller  is  just  trying  to  commit  suicide," 
growled  Bill  as  he  related  this  to  Jay. 

"  No,  I  can't  stop  with  you,''  he  replied  to 
Jay's  urgent  invitation.  "  I  just  can't  stay 
under  shelter  while  Joe  is  in  prison.  Then  there 
are  too  many  folks  watching  you,  anyway. 
We've  got  to  work  mighty  carefully,  and  I  can  do 
better  alone.  Don't  you  worry.  Sonny, — Joe'll 
get  away  again  pretty  soon,  where  they  won't 
catch  him  so  easy." 

Two  days  after  this  midnight  interview  Jay 
and  Tom  were  summoned  to  court  as  witnesses 
against  Joe.  The  trial  was  a  great  event  in 
Xantus.  The  personal  attractiveness  of  the  bold 
outlaw,  added  to  his  old  family  name,  increased 
the  interest  his  lawless  deeds  had  inspired.  Tom 
and  Jay  were  also  regarded  with  wondering  in- 


246  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

terest  bj  the  many  strangers  with  which  Xantus 
was  crowded.  Being  near  relatives  of  the  pris- 
oner, they  were  naturally  suspected  of  being 
more  anxious  to  assist  in  his  escape  than  to  bring 
him  to  justice. 

The  excitement  rose  high  when  it  was  learned 
that  Sin  Killer  Jones  had  escaped  miraculously 
from  both  shooting  and  drowning,  and  appeared 
again.  The  news  that  he  had  turned  State's  evi- 
dence and  convicted  Joe  of  all  sorts  of  black 
deeds  in  order  to  save  his  own  neck,  only  in- 
furiated the  populace  all  the  more,  and  the  guard 
around  the  prison  had  to  be  doubled  to  protect 
him. 

"  Such  villains  ought  to  be  strung  up  right  off, 
before  they  get  away  again,''  was  heard  on  all 
sides. 

The  night  of  his  conviction  Joe  sent  for  Tom. 
He  could  not  bear  to  see  his  brother  after  bring- 
ing such  disgrace  upon  his  name.  He  begged  his 
cousin  to  stand  by  him  and  protect  him  from  the 
violence  of  the  mob. 

"  Any  death  but  that,"  he  groaned. 

Upon  Tom's  promise  to  protect  him  with  his 
life,  Joe  grew  calmer.  "  I  don't  want  to  sacrifice 
you,  Tom,'^  he  said,  "  so  don't  let  them  see  you 
want  to  help  me.  I  only  ask  you  to  stand  near 
and  shoot  me  if  they  get  me.    It's  no  use  to  say 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  247 

now  tliat  I  wish  I  had  been  a  better  man.  Every- 
one wishes  that  when  he  gets  where  I  am  now, 
and  I  don't  know  that  I  could  have  been  any  dif- 
ferent if  I  had  seen  the  end  all  before  me.  I  be- 
lieve a  man  lives  about  as  his  nature  compels  him 
to,  unless  he  masters  that  nature  early  in  life.  I 
felt  the  longing  in  me  always  for  a  life  of  wild 
excitement,  and  I  just  couldn't  stand  a  quiet, 
everyday  kind  of  life  like  the  rest  of  you  were 
leading.  I  used  to  think  if  the  Lord  would  only 
give  me  peace  inside  and  make  me  love  good 
things  as  you  did,  I  would  be  perfectly  happy; 
but  when  I  was  alone  in  the  fields  or  doing  my 
work  in  the  house  or  in  the  pen,  I  felt  all  on  fire 
inside  and  wanted  to  stamp  and  shout  or  curse 
like  a  madman.  I  hated  all  good  men  and  hated 
the  Lord  for  not  making  me  like  them.  Most  of 
all,  I  hated  as  well  as  envied  you,  with  your 
pleasant,  happy  face  and  everybody  loving  you. 
The  hate  is  all  gone  now,  Tom,  as  well  as  the  de- 
sire for  excitement.  Sure,  I've  had  my  fill  of 
it !  "  and  he  laughed  bitterly.  "  Not  even  envy 
is  left,  only  just  infinite  weariness  and  a  wonder 
why  God  wouldn't  let  me  live  and  die  like  other 
men  instead  of  putting  this  terrible  fire  in  my 
blood,  which  is  almost  insanity." 

"  There  are   many   things   we  cannot   under- 
stand, Joe,"  said  Tom  in  an  unsteady  voice  as  he 


248  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

placed  his  hand  gently  on  his  cousin's  bowed 
shoulders.  "  But  we  know  that  He  who  can  read 
every  thought  is  more  merciful  than  the  best  of 
men." 

"  I  sometimes  feel,"  continued  Joe,  "  if  I  had 
not  lost  my  dear  mother  when  I  was  a  little  chap 
and  had  gotten  the  right  start  I  might  have  been 
a  good  instead  of  an  evil  man.  Often  in  place 
of  hatred  came  a  love  of  all  that  was  good  and  a 
great  longing  to  be  so  myself  and  I  would  preach 
to  my  pals  till  they  all  laughed  at  me  and  stopped 
up  their  ears.  When  I  was  first  married  I  did 
my  best  to  settle  down,  for  I  did  love  Bess,  and 
I  love  her  still,"  he  said,  his  face  softening,  "  but 
she  was  not  strong  enough  to  help  me.  She 
roused  the  devil  in  me  with  her  silly,  flirty  ways, 
and  then  she  would  be  afraid  of  me.  She  wasn't 
capable  of  a  love  that  could  really  help  a  man." 

"Yes,  and  she'll  have  another  in  your  place 
before  you're  cold,"  snarled  Bill,  stealing  from  a 
dark  corner.    "  She's  got  one  all  ready  waiting." 

"  What ! "  roared  Joe,  jumping  up  with  blaz- 
ing eyes,  and  sniffing  the  air  like  a  war-horse. 
"  Let  her  beware !  I'll  not  be  hung.  I'll  escape 
yet.    Let  her  look  to  herself ! " 

"  Time's  up !  "  shouted  the  jailor  coming  in, 
and   Tom    was   unwillingly   hurried   off,    while 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  249 

Bill  stopped  just  long  enough  for  a  hasty  whis- 
per with  the  prisoner. 

"  Why  did  you  say  that  about  Bess? "  de- 
manded Tom  sternly  as  he  faced  Bill  outside  the 
prison. 

Bill  looked  down.  "  Tom,"  he  said  finally,  "  I 
love  Joe  Carruth  as  I  never  loved  anyone  else  in 
all  my  God-forsaken  career,  I  know  that  girl 
Bess  might  have  saved  him,  and  now  she's  just 
gloating  over  his  finish." 

"  But  you  have  only  made  his  last  hours  mis- 
erable," replied  Tom. 

Bill  shook  his  head  and  slouched  off. 


250  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

The  next  day  Nigger  Ned  flew  back  on  his 
Pegasus  to  bring  the  anxious  people  on  the  three 
ranches  the  news  that  Joe  Carruth  was  to  be 
hanged  in  two  days,  and  the  boys  would  remain 
in  Xantus  till  after  the  execution ;  with  the  added 
intelligence  that  Jack  Packer,  the  sheriff,  had 
been  found  dead  the  night  before  on  the  steps 
of  the  Court  House,  with  a  bullet  through  his 
brain.  Just  when  it  had  been  done  or  by  whom 
could  only  be  conjectured,  but  he  had  evidently 
been  dead  some  time  when  they  discovered  him. 
Wild  Bill  had  vanished  from  the  face  of  the 
earth. 

The  night  before  the  execution  was  one  of  the 
few  really  hot  nights  Marian  had  experienced 
in  Texas.  As  a  rule,  however  hot  the  day,  a 
breeze  springs  up  at  nightfall.  On  this  particu- 
lar evening  not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring  and 
a  gloom  hung  over  everything.  Bess  and  her 
parents  had  gone  to  bed,  hoping  to  silence  in  the 
oblivion  of  sleep  the  gruesome  thoughts  they 
could  escape  in  no  other  way.  Even  the  boys,  un- 
able to  endure  the  universal  depression  after 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  251 

several  ineffectual  attempts  at  conversation,  one 
by  one  slunk  away  to  their  rooms.  Marian's  mind 
was  in  such  a  state  of  unrest  that  she  felt  ready 
to  expect  almost  any  terrible  encounter  the  possi- 
bility of  which  pictured  itself  in  her  fevered 
imagination.  She  even  dreaded  the  long,  low- 
studded  living  room,  lighted  only  dimly  at  one 
end  by  a  small  lamp.  She  cast  a  half  fearful 
glance  into  the  dark  corners,  as  she  went  to  take 
the  lamp  to  go  to  her  own  room. 

As  she  passed  the  piano  she  thought  a  little 
music  might  calm  the  tension  of  her  nerves,  as 
it  had  often  done  before;  so,  setting  down  the 
lamp  she  seated  herself  at  the  instrument  and 
played  softly  for  a  little  time,  till  she  had  re- 
turned to  a  more  normal  frame  of  mind.  Sud- 
denly a  slight  sound  behind,  her  caused  her  to 
turn  quickly. 

"  Why,  Jay !  "  she  said  rising,  "  when  did  you 
get  here?  " 

Then  starting  back  she  clutched  the  piano  for 
support,  as  she  realized  that  the  man  before  her 
was  not  Jay,  but  that  she  was  looking  into  the 
haggard,  desperate  face  and  wild,  hunted  eyes 
of  the  outlaw.  Her  heart  beat  almost  to  suffoca- 
tion. 

"  Why  are  you  here?  "  she  whispered  unable 
to  speak  aloud  or  cry  for  help. 


252  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Without  replying  the  man  caught  her  by  the 
shoulders  and  slipped  a  gag  into  her  mouth. 
She  had  a  semi-realization  that  her  hands  were 
being  tied,  then  knew  no  more  till  she  heard  her 
name  called  in  agonizing  tones  and  opened  her 
eyes  to  see  Tom  Mayberry  bending  over  her  look- 
ing almost  as  wild  and  haggard  as  the  escaped 
criminal. 

"  Are  you  all  right,  Miss  Marian?  "  he  gasped 
as  he  cut  the  cords  from  her  wrists  and  helped 
her  to  rise. 

"  I  am  not  hurt, — I  must  have  fainted,"  she 
said  slowly.  Then,  as  her  mind  awoke,  she 
grasped  Tom's  arm.  "  Joe  Carruth  was  here. 
Where  is  he?    We  must  go  to  Bess." 

Just  then  Jay  advanced  from  the  window. 
"  Tell  us  quickly  what  has  happened,"  he  said. 
^^  Joe  w^as  found  missing,  and  I  feared  he  would 
come  here.  Tom  and  I  nearly  killed  our  horses 
following.     God  grant  Bess  is  safe." 

Marian  felt  as  if  the  solid  earth  were  still  reel- 
ing under  her  feet,  and  grasped  Tom's  arm  for 
support  as  they  all  turned  quickly  toward  the 
corridor  leading  to  Bess's  chamber. 

There  Jay  knocked,  but  no  sound  was  heard. 
He  knocked  again,  then,  in  terror  of  the  silence, 
threw  his  body  against  the  door,  forcing  the  frail 
lock.     He  entered  the  room  alone,  Marian  and 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  253 

Tom  remaining  outside  in  terror  of  some  fearful 
tragedy.  Marian  could  feel  the  beating  of  her 
heart  in  her  ears,  and  a  lump  rose  up  in  her 
throat  which  nearly  suffocated  her.  She  felt  as 
if  the  silence  had  lasted  for  ages,  when  Jay  finally 
appeared  on  the  threshold  of  the  room,  his  face 
white  and  drawn  with  pain,  his  eyes  large  with 

anguish. 

The  expression  on  his  face  filled  them  with 

awe. 

"  What  have  you  found.  Jay?  "  gasped  Tom, 
for  Marian's  white  lips  refused  to  move. 

"Joe  and  Bess,  both  dead,"  came  the  reply 
through  parched  lips,  in  a  voice  almost  devoid 
of  expression.  "  Take  Miss  Marian  away,  Tom, 
and  come  back  to  me." 

At  that  moment  footsteps  were  heard  and 
Uncle  Dan  came  down  the  corridor,  holding  a 
lamp  in  his  hand  and  sleepily  rubbing  his  eyes. 
"What's  the  trouble.  Jay?"  he  said  faintly, 
as  he  saw  Jay's  face,  and  realized  that  something 
terrible  had  occurred. 

Jay,  his  head  erect  as  if  to  nerve  himself  to 
break  the  awful  intelligence,  half  raised  his  hand 
as  though  to  invoke  the  Deity  and  at  the  same 
time  to  check  Uncle  Dan's  advance. 

"  The  sins  of  the  father  have  been  visited  upon 
the  children,"  he  said  solemnly.    "  I  shall  live  in 


254  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

tlie  future  only  to  redeem  the  name  of  Carruth, 
and  atone  for  the  injury  done  to  an  innocent 
woman  and  her  people." 

"  Let  me  go  to  Bess ! ''  begged  Uncle  Dan 
frightened  but  uncomprehending. 

Jay  still  barred  the  way.  "  It  is  too  late,"  he 
said,  and  the  old  man's  head  drooped  heavily. 

"My  little  girl,  my  little  girl!"  he  moaned. 
"  I  have  nothing  left  to  live  for !  "  Then,  rousing 
himself,  "  That  hound  Joe ! "  he  began,  but  Tom 
said  solemnly, 

"  Joe  is  dead  also.  Leave  his  punishment  to 
God." 

Uncle  Dan  groped  blindly  before  him  and  Tom 
sprang  forward  and  caught  the  lamp  from  his 
trembling  hand.  Then  putting  his  arm  round 
him,  he  and  Marian  led  him  tenderly  away,  the 
latter  gaining  strength  herself  as  she  felt  there 
was  some  one  who  had  need  of  her. 

The  poor  mother,  usually  the  stronger  of  the 
two,  broke  down  utterly.  "  If  I  had  looked  after 
her  better,  I  might  have  saved  her,"  she  repeated 
over  and  over  again. 

As  Jay  walked  heavy-hearted  from  the  house 
he  saw  a  crouching  figure  suddenly  dart  from  a 
dark  corner  of  the  piazza  and  disappear.  He 
paused  for  a  moment,  then  walked  on. 

"  It  was  Wild  Bill,"  he  said  to  himself. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  255 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  next  few  days  were  terrible  ones.  Sor- 
row weighed  heavily  upon  everyone.  It  was  not 
until  Bess  and  Joe  were  carried  to  their  last  rest- 
ing place  that  any  one  seemed  to  speak  above  a 
whisper.  Uncle  Dan  went  about  the  ranch  as 
usual,  but  Aunt  Phoebe  was  confined  to  her  bed, 
and  hardly  seemed  to  realize  what  was  going  on 
about  her.  One  morning  Uncle  Dan  drew  Marian 
to  him  as  they  sat  on  the  wide  veranda  after  an 
early  breakfast. 

"  Marian,  my  darling,"  he  said,  "  the  time  has 
come  for  you  to  return  home.  You  have  been  a 
great  comfort  to  us  and  I  am  deeply  grateful  to 
you,  but  I  can  see  that  you  need  to  get  away  from 
here.  I  hope  sometime  you  will  come  back  and 
be  my  girl  in  place  of  the  one  who  has  gone.  The 
doctor  says  your  Aunt  Phobe  has  brain  fever. 
Mrs.  Mayberry  is  on  her  way  here  to  look  after 
her,  and  Tom  will  stay  and  drive  you  over  to 
Xantus.  Jay  and  Gus  have  taken  all  the  care  of 
things  up  to  now,  and  IVe  had  nothing  to  do  but 
sit  round  and  mope;  but  I've  made  up  my  mind 


25G  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

not  to  be  idle  any  longer.  I'm  going  to  get  out 
round  the  ranch  and  keep  busy.  It'll  be  a  heap 
better  for  me." 

There  was  silence  for  a  moment,  then  he  added, 
"  Mr.  Osterhandt  has  business  up  North  and  will 
go  on  to  New  York  with  you.  He's  a  good  chap 
and  I  shall  feel  lots  safer  to  have  you  in  his 
charge." 

"  Thank  you.  Uncle,"  she  said  kissing  him  ten- 
derly, "  but  I  cannot  bear  to  leave  you." 

"  It  is  best  so,  dear,"  he  answered.  "  I  had  a 
letter  from  your  father  last  night  saying  that 
you  must  come  at  once." 

There  was  a  hush  on  the  ranch  outside,  and  a 
gloom  inside  the  house  which  seemed  only  height- 
ened by  the  bright  sunshine.  Marian  packed  her 
trunk  with  feverish  haste,  longing  to  be  away  and 
seated  by  the  side  of  Tom,  knowing  that  in  his 
presence  alone  she  would  find  the  peace  of  which 
she  was  in  sore  need. 

From  the  open  window  she  could  hear  Jay 
giving  orders,  in  tones  of  calm  command,  and 
could  see  him  walking  here  and  there  with  head 
erect  and  dignified  bearing,  more  like  Tom  May- 
berry  than  the  old  dashing  Jay.  He  had  stayed 
with  them  through  all  this  period  of  trouble, 
directing  everything  with  a  strength  of  will  that 
impelled  them  all  to  turn  to  him  for  help. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  257 

By  tlie  time  Tom  and  his  mother  had  arrived 
everything  was  ready  and  Marian  took  a  long 
and  tearful  farewell  of  her  uncle  and  dear  Mrs. 
Mayberry. 

"  God  bless  and  keep  you,  dear,"  said  the  older 
woman.  "  I  feel  sure  you  will  come  back  to  us 
sometime." 

While  Jay  and  Tom  were  placing  her  trunk 
upon  the  democrat  wagon  which  was  to  take  her 
to  Xantus,  she  turned  to  bid  good-by  to  the  faith- 
ful negro  servants  and  then  to  the  cowboys  who 
were  out  in  full  force  to  express  their  deep  regret 
at  parting  with  the  girl,  whose  interest  in  the 
ranch  life  and  ready  sympathy  in  all  which  con- 
cerned them  had  won  their  hearts. 

"  You'll  sure  enough  come  back.  Miss  Mar- 
ian?" said  Tad.  "  We-all  can't  run  the  ranch 
without  you." 

"  Come  back !  Come  back ! "  shouted  the 
others.    Then  she  turned  to  Jay. 

"  Good-by,  dear  friend,"  he  said,  pressing  her 
hands  in  both  of  his.  "  I  hope  you  will  come 
back,  and  when  you  do,  you  will  find  a  different 
James  Carruth  from  the  one  you  knew  before. 
You  have  many  friends  here,"  he  added,  "  but 
none  more  willing  to  serve  you  than  I." 

Marian  pressed  his  hands  in  return,  but  the 
tears  choked  her  voice  as  she  tried  to  thank  him. 

ir 


258  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Looking  into  his  handsome,  serious  face,  she 
realized  that  his  prophecy  was  being  rapidly  ful- 
filled. 

"  You  must  fix  things  all  right  with  Tom  on 
the  way  to  the  station,"  whispered  Gus  as  he 
tucked  in  the  dust  robe,  and  the  two  drove  off 
amid  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs  and  muffled 
good-bys.  Aunt  Phoebe's  illness  preventing  any 
loud  noise. 

"You'll  sure  come  back?"  said  Tom  half 
doubtfully,  after  a  long  and  troubled  silence. 

"  I  can't  believe  that  I  shall  not,"  answered 
Marian,  her  voice  trembling. 

"  I  don't  want  to  influence  you  by  telling  you 
all  It  means  to  me,"  pleaded  Tom.  "  I  could  not 
if  I  would ;  but  the  thought  of  having  you  go  out 
of  my  life  altogether  would  break  my  heart.  I 
shall  go  about  like  one  in  a  dream  itill  you  come 
back  to  me.  I  shall  hope  you  will  do  so,  and  that 
hope  alone  will  keep  me  above  ground." 

"  I  feel  now  as  if  I  could  never  be  happy  any- 
where else,"  replied  Marian,  slipping  her  hand 
into  his  free  one,  "  but  I  want  to  go  back  to  New 
York  and  think  things  over  calmly,  and  tell  my 
father  all  about  it.  You  may  trust  me  to  decide 
upon  whatever  is  best  for  both  of  us." 

"  There  is  no  best  for  me  without  you,"  he 
answered,  "  but  I  will  trust  you  to  act  wisely." 


*<Will  you  not  drink  a  cup  with  me?*' 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  259 

Then  he  added,  "  I  almost  wish  Osterhandt 
weren't  going  up  with  you." 

"  Surely,"  she  laughed,  "  you  aren't  afraid  of 
him?" 

He  looked  doubtful.  "  I  don't  know,"  he  said, 
"  he  has  a  better  education  than  I  have." 

"  Oh,  no !  Only  more  book  knowledge,"  she 
answered. 

"  Hold  the  reins  a  moment,"  he  added  gently, 
as  he  sprang  to  the  ground  to  open  a  gate,  and 
closing  it  again  behind  the  wagon  he  climbed  in, 
then  alighted  again  a  few  rods  further  on  and  un- 
checked his  horses  to  drink  at  the  water's  brink. 

"  This  is  the  Colorado  River,"  he  said,  his  voice 
vibrating  with  emotion.  "  Will  you  not  drink  a 
cup  with  me?  They  say  one  who  drinks  of  the 
Colorado  can  never  leave  here  for  long,  but  must 
come  back  to  Texas  to  live  and  die." 

"  If  that  doesn't  bring  me  back  here,  perhaps 
the  memory  of  the  Algerita — or  a  more  powerful 
one  still — "  Marian  hesitated,  confused  under  his 
intent  gaze.  Silently  she  reached  her  hand  out 
for  the  cup,  and  after  drinking  they  went  on 
again  to  Xantus. 


260  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

The  journey  to  New  York  seemed  like  a  dream 
to  Marian,  though  Mr.  Osterhandt  did  his  best 
to  enliven  it.  Upon  their  arrival  the  young  man 
appeared  a  little  dazed  by  the  noise  and  rush, 
and  frankly  told  Marian  and  the  friends  who  met 
her  at  the  station  that  he  could  never  have  found 
his  way  about  if  they  had  not  been  there  to  advise 
him.  He  added  that  he  was  really  afraid  to  cross 
the  street,  it  had  to  be  done  so  quickly.  Miss 
Wilson,  Marian's  friend,  gazed  with  delight  into 
his  boyish  yet  manly  face,  and  thought  his  slow 
southern  speech  irresistible. 

"I  don't  w^onder  you  were  in  love  with  the 
South  if  the  men  were  all  like  him,''  she  whis- 
pered to  Marian. 

"Where  is  Father?"  asked  Marian  eagerly, 
not  noticing  her  friend's  remark. 

"  Oh,  we  are  to  take  you  to  his  office ;  he 
couldn't  get  away,"  answered  Miss  Wilson's 
brother  who  accompanied  her. 

"  Are  you  going  to  keep  that  dear  fellow  all  to 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  261 

yourself? '^  whispered  Miss  Wilson,  as  the  two 
men  turned  to  give  orders  about  the  trunks. 

"  Oh,  no  indeed !  I  brought  him  up  on  pur- 
pose for  you,"  laughed  Marian.  "  He  says  he's 
going  into  business  here  in  New  York," 

As  the  party  wended  their  way  down  Wall 
street,  the  enchanted  Osterhandt  wanted  to  stop 
at  every  corner.  "What  are  you  hurrying  so 
for?"  he  queried.  "I'm  all  out  of  breath. 
Heavens !    What  tall  buildings !  " 

"You'll  have  plenty  of  time  for  sight-seeing 
later,"  laughed  Marian.  "  I'm  in  a  hurry  to  see 
Father." 

Just  then  Osterhandt  was  nearly  knocked  over 
by  some  men  rushing  round  the  corner. 

"  You  must  keep  your  eyes  open,"  said  young 
Wilson  impatiently. 

"  I  suppose  I  do  seem  like  a  Johnny  from  the 
country,"  laughed  Osterhandt  good-naturedly. 

They  entered  one  of  the  tall  buildings  and 
Marian  touched  the  electric  bell  for  the  elevator. 
Almost  at  the  same  moment  the  machine  shot 
down,  the  door  clanged  open,  and  a  dozen  men 
tore  out  of  it  and  rushed  into  the  street.  Oster- 
handt looked  after  them  in  surprise. 

"  Hold  on  a  moment,"  he  said  to  the  operator 
as  the  party  stepped  in,  "  I  w^ant  to  get  a  box  of 
cigarettes."    The  boy  cast  one  look  of  silent  con- 


262  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

tempt  at  him,  banged  the  door  and  shot  up  out  of 
sight,  leaving  the  astonished  Osterhandt  stand- 
ing alone  in  the  hall  below. 

Marian's  father  gave  her  a  tender  and  affec- 
tionate greeting,  then,  taking  out  his  watch  he 
said,  "  I  can  give  you  only  ten  minutes  as  I  am 
just  about  going  to  Court.  I  will  meet  you  at 
dinner.'' 

Marian  couldn't  help  noting  how  much  he 
resembled  Uncle  Dan,  only  the  lines  in  her 
father's  face  were  all  sharp  and  keen,  and  his 
manner  much  more  decisive.  He  gave  Mr. 
Osterhandt,  who  appeared  shortly  after  the  en- 
trance of  the  others,  a  cordial  welcome  to  New 
York,  and  thanked  him  for  his  care  of  Marian. 

"  You  are  in  the  law,  I  understand,"  he  said. 
"  Do  you  want  a  position  here  in  New  York? 
Come  to  my  office  to-morrow  at  ten,  and  I  can 
perhaps  give  you  some  assistance  in  that  direc- 
tion. Come  to  dinner  with  us  to-night  at  seven. 
Now,  I  must  say  good-by  to  you  all,"  and  he 
bowed  them  out. 

Osterhandt  noted  the  spacious  rooms  lined 
with  books,  the  busy  clerks  bustling  about,  and 
the  air  of  activity  on  all  sides. 

"  New  York's  the  place  for  me,"  he  said  em- 
phatically. "  It's  just  what  I've  always  dreamt 
it  was." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  263 

Marian  looked  about  curiously  as  she  rode 
homeward;  it  was  all  familiar  and  dear  to  her, 
but  at  the  bottom  of  her  heart  was  a  lonesome 
ache  which  she  could  hardly  understand. 


264  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

Weeks  went  by,  but  Marian's  restlessness 
increased  instead  of  diminishing.  The  great  city 
seemed  depressing.  The  noise  and  bustle  of  the 
streets  still  confused  her  overwrought  nerves. 
Her  father  was  so  much  occupied  with  his  ever 
growing  practice,  that  she  had  no  good  oppor- 
tunity for  discussing  the  matters  which  filled  her 
heart.  She  attended  many  social  functions,  and 
it  seemed  as  if  her  time  were  spent  in  shopping 
and  dressmaking  to  prepare  for  such  things.  It 
wearied  and  depressed  her.  She  had  lost  interest 
in  society,  the  stock  market,  the  coming  Presi- 
dent, and  the  latest  society  gossip.  She  wanted 
to  be  on  the  back  of  a  horse,  with  the  wind  blow- 
ing through  her  hair.  She  felt  as  if  all  her  friends 
talked  in  whispers  and  walked  about  on  tiptoe. 
She  longed  to  hear  a  burst  of  hearty,  uproarious 
laughter  instead  of  a  conventional  titter,  and 
avowed  that  there  is  more  poetry  than  truth  in 
Goldsmith's  assertion  concerning  "  the  loud 
laugh  that  speaks  the  vacant  mind." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  265 

The  theatres,  the  brilliant  social  gatherings, 
the  highly  cultivated,  beautifully-dressed  people, 
— all  that  which  she  had  felt  formed  her  world, — ■ 
now  only  bored  her.  Poor  Marian!  The  fault 
lay  not  in  that  wonderful  community  of  every 
sort  and  condition  of  men,  but  in  herself. 

Osterhandt,  on  the  other  hand,  gave  himself  up 
to  it  as  gleefully  as  a  child.  Finding  him  a  clear- 
headed, well-informed  man,  Mr.  Luce  had  given 
him  a  position  in  his  own  office  and  he  was 
advancing  rapidly  in  New  York  ways.  He  vowed 
that  he  never  would  leave  this  fascinating  city 
for  the  land  which  beckoned  so  alluringly  to 
Marian. 

"  How  can  anyone  live  in  that  sleepy  old 
place?''  he  said.  "New  York  for  me,  every 
time!" 

At  last  Marian,  who  spent  much  time  in  intro- 
spection, realized  fully  that  Texas,  to  her,  meant 
Tom  Mayberry,  and  that  she  loved  him  irre- 
vocably. 

True,  there  were  many  men  in  New  York  as 
noble,  as  attractive  and  far  more  versed  in  the 
ways  of  the  world — her  world.  To  join  her  life 
to  his  meant  giving  up  entirely  her  old  life,  and 
all  her  former  friends. 

"  But  I  love  that  life  far  better,"  she  replied  to 
her  friend's  expostulation.    "  And  oh,  how  I  long 


266  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

for  a  whiff  of  that  pure  air!  I  believe  a  scent 
now  of  the  Algerita  would  drive  me  mad !  " 

"  No,  you  don't,"  responded  Miss  Wilson.  "  It 
isn't  Texas  that  you  love — it's  that  man  there." 

"  Well,  it's  the  same  thing,"  argued  the  girl 
obstinately. 

"  You'll  find  it  isn't  when  you  wake  up," 
remarked  her  friend.  "  Why  didn't  you  fall  in 
love  with  Osterhandt,  or  bring  Tom  Mayberry 
home  with  you?  " 

"  Osterhandt !  "  said  Marian  scornfully.  Then, 
seeing  her  friend's  face  flush  she  said  gently, 
"  Mr.  Osterhandt  is  really  a  fine  fellow,  and 
Father  says  he'll  make  a  great  lawyer ;  but  I  don't 
love  him,  and  as  for  bringing  Tom  here, — "  then 
she  stopped  to  imagine  his  strong  figure  in  such 
incongruous  surroundings.  "  No,  Tom  would  be 
out  of  place  except  under  the  blue  sky  and  out- 
door life  of  Texas." 

"  Well,  it's  of  no  use  to  argue  with  a  girl  w^ho's 
in  love,"  sagely  observed  her  friend  rising  to  go. 
"  You're  utterly  ruined  for  New  York,  and  you 
may  as  well  go  back  to  Texas.  Perhaps  we  may 
come  out  and  visit  you  once  in  a  while,"  she  added 
with  a  kiss. 

Marian  sat  as  in  a  dream  humming  "  I'd  cross 
deep  waters  for  you,   my   dear."     What   deep 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  267 

waters  would  she  not  cross  to  find  that  stalwart 
figure  on  the  other  side ! 

Quite  unconcious  of  the  presence  of  her  friend, 
she  drew  from  its  hiding-place  an  envelope  from 
which  she  took  a  pressed  white  flower,  and  sat 
gazing  at  it  absently. 

"The  scent  is  all  gone  now,"  she  said  half 
aloud,  and  hot  tears  fell  on  the  hand  that  held 
it. 

"  He  brought  it  to  me  from  his  ranch,  and  I 
wore  it  at  the  dance,  on  the  night  of  the  —Oh ! 
that  awful  night.  I  knew  that  night,  that  I  loved 
him.  Why  could  I  not  have  trusted  my  own 
instincts " 

"  We  don^t  do  that  in  New  York,''  interposed 
her  companion  with  an  air  of  superiority. 

"  The  scent  is  all  gone,"  Marian  went  on 
apparently  not  heeding  the  interruption.  "  I  can 
smell  it  in  imagination,  and  if  I  ever  do  in 
reality  I  believe  I  shall  lose  my  mind." 

"Don't  get  so  excited  Marian,"  her  friend 
became  authoritative  as  the  girl  grew  almost  hys- 
terical. Then  she  laid  her  hand  coaxingly  on 
Marian's. 

"  He  isn't  dead  you  know  dear,  and  he  really 
loves  you— why— it  can  be  fixed  up  some  way  if 
you  are  sure " 

"Sure!" 


268  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Marian  shot  a  glance  of  pity  at  her  little 
friend. 

"  If  you  hadn't  gone  to  Texas  you  would  never 
have  discovered  you  strong  emotional  nature. 
I  wish  I  could  care  that  much  about  something," 
she  added  pathetically. 

At  this  juncture  a  gentle  tap  came  at  the  door 
and  the  maid  handed  her  a  letter  from  Texas. 
She  opened  it  with  a  thrill  of  foreboding.  She 
had  not  heard  from  Tom,  and  her  uneasiness  had 
been  increased  by  the  suspense  and  lack  of  news. 
The  letter  was  from  Uncle  Dan  and  contained 
the  sad  news  of  Aunt  Phoebe's  death. 

"  I  want  to  see  you  and  Brother  George 
again,"  he  wrote,  "  for  you  are  all  that  are  left  to 
me."  He  purposed  to  leave  the  ranch  in  the 
hands  of  Gus,  until  either  he  or  someone  whom 
he  should  appoint  would  take  charge  of  it.  If 
Marian  would  consent  to  come  down  there  and 
live,  the  whole  property  should  eventually  be 
hers. 

At  dinner  she  passed  the  letter  over  to  her 
father  with  no  comment. 

"  I  would  like  to  talk  it  over  with  you,  Father, 
when  you  have  time,"  she  said  faintly  as  he 
paused  in  his  reading  of  the  letter. 

"  Very  well,  my  dear,"  he  answered  kindly, 
leading  the  way  to  his  study. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  269 

After  reading  the  letter  and  returning  it  to 
Marian  he  sat  for  a  moment  lost  in  thought ;  then 
he  said,  "  Dan  shall  spend  the  rest  of  his  life  with 
me.  I  think  I  can  persuade  him  to  go  abroad 
with  me.    You  will  go  with  us,  of  course.'' 

"  No,  no,  father ! "  Marian  burst  out  vehe- 
mently. "  I  want  to  go  back  to  Texas  and  be  a 
ranch  woman." 

"What,  live  alone  in  that  great  house?  That 
would  be  scarcely  proper." 

With  great  difficulty  Marian  told  her  father 
the  truth,  at  which  he  looked  very  sober  and  said, 
after  another  long  pause, 

"  I  never  had  much  faith  in  this  romantic  love, 
for  I  don't  believe  it  ever  lasts.  People  who  are 
well  suited  in  tastes  and  temperament  and  have 
a  community  of  interests  marry  because  it  is  the 
thing  to  do,  and  they  grow  very  fond  of  each 
other,  but  this  marrying  someone  in  a  widely 
different  sphere  of  action  I  can't  believe  can 
bring  happiness." 

"  Then  you  simply  don't  understand,"  Marian 
persisted  patronizingly. 

"  Perhaps  I  don't,  and  perhaps  I  do.  But,  any- 
way, it  is  your  happiness  that  I  want.  It  will 
be  very,  very  hard  for  me  to  give  you  up,  but  if 
you  are  really  convinced  that  nothing  else  will 
do,  then  I  must  give  my  consent.     But  do  you 


270  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

realize  how  different  his  views  of  life  are?  Wh}^, 
I  heard  Osterhandt  say  to-day  that  the  southern 
men  expected  their  wives  to  obey  them  in  every- 
thing  " 

"  I  want  to  obey  him,"  Marian  insisted. 

Her  father  stared  in  astonishment  and 
remarked  as  he  looked  at  his  watch,  "  I  guess  you 
are  really  in  love."  Here  a  servant  again 
appeared  bearing  a  box  which  emi'tted  a  strong, 
sweet  odor.  Marian  became  very  pale.  "  The 
box  is  for  me !  "  she  cried,  holding  out  a  trem- 
bling hand  to  the  astonished  servant. 

"  So  it  is,"  said  the  father  examining  the  card 
with  all  the  curiosity  of  a  man — "  and  the  card 
reads:  Mr.  Tom  Mayberry." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  271 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

The  three  ranches  in  Texas  had  been  running 
with  usual  smoothness  and  regularity.  The  Luce 
Ranch,  under  the  able  administration  of  Gus, 
was  fuller  of  life  and  activity  than  ever.  The 
Carruth  Ranch  was  even  more  changed.  Jay 
began  his  work  early  in  the  morning  and  person- 
ally supervised  everything  that  went  on  till  late 
in  the  evening.  Many  of  the  old  ranchmen  who 
did  not  take  kindly  to  the  new  regime  were 
turned  off,  and  new  ones,  more  sober  and  indus- 
trious, took  their  places.  By  fall,  the  Carruth 
ranch  had  begun  to  rival  the  Luce's  in  beauty, 
thrift  and  prosperity.  Tom,  who  always  got  the 
most  out  of  his  comparatively  few  acres,  went 
about  his  duties  as  usual,  but  with  little  interest 
in  his  work.  His  mother  noted  with  pain  the 
patient,  almost  lifeless  expression  on  his  face, 
and  his  abstracted  air,  as  if  he  were  going  about 
in  his  sleep.  She  knew  very  well  that  only  his 
high  devotion  to  duty,  his  love  for  her  and  his 
stern  command  of  himself,  kept  him  up. 


272  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

He  had  written  one  long,  tender  letter  to 
Marian,  but  received  no  reply.  At  first  he  tried 
to  believe  that  she  really  cared  for  him,  and  that 
soon  the  hoped-for  answer  would  come  to  him. 
Then,  after  many  weary  days  of  watching  and 
waiting,  his  face  became  paler,  and  his  eyes 
looked  large  and  wistful ;  but  his  jaw  was  set  and 
his  lips  compressed,  so  that  no  one  dared  speak 
to  him  about  his  changed  appearance,  much  less 
to  tease  him. 

The  younger  boys  were  watching  Tom  and  Jay 
one  day  as  they  met  and  so  began  talking  about 
the  departed  Marian. 

"  I  see  Nigger  Ned  gallopin^  to  Xantus  every 
day  or  so,"  laughed  Sid ;  "  I  expect  he  takes  one 
letter  and  brings  back  another." 

"  Boss  says  he's  sure  goin'  to  give  Miss  Marian 
the  ranch,"  chimed  in  Hugh. 

Sundry  curious  glances  rested  on  Tom's  pale 
face  as  he  made  no  remark,  and  a  hush  fell  on  the 
little  group,  broken  by  Jay's  command  for  them 
to  scatter  and  attend  to  business,  giving  definite 
orders  to  each. 

The  two  young  men  being  left  alone.  Jay  threw 
his  arm  in  sympathy  over  Tom's  shoulder,  who 
for  a  moment  broke  down  in  uncontrollable  grief. 

"  How  could  any  woman  treat  a  man  so,  Jay?  " 
he  finally  asked,  as  he  grew  calmer.     "  She  was 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  273 

only  playing  with  me  all  the  time,  and  I  will  not 
think  of  her  any  more." 

"  You're  wrong  there,  Tom,"  replied  Jay  earn- 
estly. "  I  am  sure  Miss  Marian  loves  you  with  a 
love  as  great  as  your  own.  There  may  be  many 
reasons  why  you  have  not  heard  from  her.  I  am 
sure  she  is  worthy  of  greater  trust  than  you  are 
giving  her.  Why!  Think  how  easily  a  letter 
can  go  astray,  when  any  chance  horseman  can 
fetch  and  carry  the  mail.  You  well  know  there 
are  men  who  would  gladly  do  you  an  ill  turn,  for 
no  better  reason  than  that  you  are  on  the  side  of 
law  and  order." 

"  You  give  me  fresh  hope.  Jay,''  replied  Tom, 
raising  his  head.  "  How  good  you  are  to  me !  I 
hardly  dare  write  to  her  again,  though,  for  if  she 
didn't  answer  it — "  he  paused  and  gave  his  cousin 
an  eloquent  look.  "  Then  " — he  went  on  hesi- 
tatingly— "  I  did  send  her  a  box  of  Algerita  blos- 
soms, you  know  how  she  loved  them.  Now  I 
can't  do  any  more,  can  I?    To  write  again " 

"You  needn't  write,  you  shall  go  to  her," 
answered  Jay  with  decision. 

"  How  can  I  ?  "  asked  Tom,  startled.  "  Where 
is  the  money  to  come  from?  " 

"  From  me." 

"  No,  Jay,  I  won't  take  the  money  you've 
worked  so  hard  for.  The  trip  might  be  all  in 
18 


274  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

vain.  Then  the  faint  hope  I'm  clinging  to  would 
be  gone  forever,  and  your  money  also.  If  I  were 
alone  in  the  world,  with  no  one  dependent  upon 
me,  it  would  be  different.  I  would  go  then  with- 
out a  moment's  hesitation,"  he  added  slowly, 
"  but  I  have  mother  and  Walt  to  consider." 
Then,  holding  out  his  hand,  he  said,  "  No,  Jay, 
it  can't  be;  but  I  shall  never  forget  your  offer 
nor  your  sympathy." 

Jay,  taking  the  outstretched  hand,  held  the 
man  firmly  as  he  was  about  to  mount  his  horse 
once  more. 

"  You  must  go,  Tom,"  he  said.  "  I  don't  want 
to  hear  another  word  about  the  money.  It  would 
take  a  great  load  from  my  heart  and  my  con- 
science if  I  could  do  that  much  for  you  and  Miss 
Marian,  for  I  am  sure  it  means  as  much  to  her  as 
to  you.  I  would  feel  that  I  was  paying  part  of 
the  awful  debt  I  owe  to  the  Luce  family.  Then, 
Tom,  there's  going  to  be  an  added  tie  between  us, 
that  will  bind  us  still  nearer  together." 

Tom  surveyed  him  in  uncomprehending  sur- 
prise. 

"  Then  you  haven't  seen  Hetty  lately?  "  said 
Jay  in  some  confusion.  "  I  haven't  asked  you  if 
you  were  willing,  Tom." 

"Willing!  I'm  perfectly  delighted!"  cried 
Tom  giving  his  friend's  hand  a  hearty  clasp.    "  I 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  275 

know  you'll  be  happy,  Jay.  She's  a  dear  little 
girl." 

"  That  she  is,"  said  Jay  emphatically. 

Tom  regarded  his  cousin  intently.  How  com- 
pletely the  old  Jay  had  vanished  he  had  not  real- 
ized until  at  that  moment  he  scanned  the  drawn, 
sad  face.  How  gladly  just  then  would  he  have 
seen  the  old  careless  expression  or  have  listened 
to  his  light  laugh  or  some  flippant  remark.  "  We 
need  the  old  Jay  back,"  he  thought  to  himself; 
then  added  aloud  with  deep  concern, 

"  Did  you  really  love  Miss  Marian,  Jay?  " 

Jay  gazed  across  the  prairie.  "  Don't  ask  me," 
he  answered  sadly.  "  That  is  all  over  now,  and 
I  think  I  can  be  happy  in  a  way  and  make  Hetty 
happy. 

"  I  used  to  watch  Marian,  too,"  he  added  after 
a  pause,  "  and  I  knew  then  better  than  she 
knew  herself  that  it  was  you  she  loved.  But  I 
wouldn't  believe  it  then,  nor  stand  for  it — but 
no  more  about  me.  You  must  start  to-morrow, 
and — take  my  word  for  it — you'll  find  Miss 
Marian  as  glad  to  see  you  as  you'll  be  to  see  her. 
I'll  oversee  your  ranch  myself.  You  shall  draw 
a  check  for  five  hundred  in  my  name — I'll  call  it 
a  loan  if  you  like,"  as  Tom  protested,  "  but  just 
now  your  trip  is  the  only  thing  to  be  considered." 

"I'll  go,"  answered  Tom  with  decision,  "and 


276  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

1^1  start  to-morrow  morning,  sure ; ''  and  press- 
ing Jay's  hand  again  he  sprang  into  the  saddle 
and  galloped  off  with  his  head  erect. 

"  He's  his  old  self  once  more.  Glory  halle- 
lujah !  "  shouted  Jay  exultingly.  "  I  don't  know 
when  I've  felt  so  good  before,"  and  he  in  turn 
started  off  on  a  high  lope. 

"What's  up.  Jay?"  shouted  Harry,  coming 
towards  him  apparently  a  little  alarmed. 

"  I  feel  like  I  had  been  having  a  good  drink," 
said  Jay,  his  eyes  sparkling.  "  I  want  to  sing 
and  hug  somebody." 

"  Get  out !  "  yelled  the  boy,  dodging  a  frantic 
gesture  in  his  direction. 

"  Harry,"  said  Jay  kindly,  "  we've  never 
thought  much  about  you  in  all  this  trouble.  I 
know  you  have  suffered  too,  my  boy,  and  I  want 
you  to  be  as  happy  as  I  am  to-day.  What  can  I 
do  for  you?" 

"  Nothing,  Boss,"  said  Harry  sadly.  "  Noth- 
ing'll  help  me  but  time  and  hard  work." 

"  You've  been  my  most  faithful  worker  ever 
since  you  first  came  to  me,"  went  on  Jay,  "  and 
I  mean  to  make  it  worth  your  while  to  stay  with 
me." 

"  I  have  always  felt  it  worth  while,"  answered 
Harry,  "  and  I'm  ready  at  all  times  to  do  all 
that's  expected  of  me  and  a  little  more." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  277 

"  I  know  it,  lad.  Are  jou  happier  here,  where 
you've  had  all  your  trouble  than  you  would  be 
somewhere  else?  "  questioned  Jay  kindly. 

"  Yes,  I'd  rather  stay  here  than  go  anywhere 
else  in  the  wide  world.  Folks  differ  about  that, 
I  suppose,"  he  added  pensively. 

"  Well,"  answered  Jay,  "  Tom's  going  on  to 
New  York,  while  I  run  his  ranch.  As  you  are  my 
best  man,  I  will  give  you  full  charge  of  mine  till 
Tom  returns.  After  that  you  shall  be  overseer 
and  take  full  control  in  my  absence.  I'll  give  you 
some  land,  too,  and  a  certain  per  cent  of  all  we 
make,  besides  your  regular  pay." 

Harry  held  out  his  hand,  but  could  find  no 
words  with  which  to  thank  him,  and  Jay  galloped 
off  feeling  happier  than  he  had  felt  since  his 
brother's  death. 


278  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 


CHAPTBE  XXXIII. 

Early  the  next  morning  Jay  arrived  at  the 
Mayberry  ranch  to  assist  Tom  in  his  preparations 
for  departure,  and  to  receive  his  final  instruc- 
tions as  to  the  management  of  affairs  in  his 
absence. 

He  was  received  at  the  door  by  Mrs.  Mayberry, 
whose  pale  face  and  haggard  look  took  Jay  by 
surprise. 

"  Have  you  found  him? ''  she  asked  breath- 
lessly. 

"  Found  w^ho?  I  came  out  to  help  Tom  get  off 
to  Xantus,"  he  said.  His  bright,  happy  face 
turned  to  one  of  despair  as  she  said, 

"  Tom's  lost.  Oh,  didn't  we  have  trouble 
enough  without  this ! "  she  cried  with  tears  run- 
ning down  her  face.  "  Tom  told  me,  dear  Jay,  of 
the  conversation  between  you,  and  of  your  gener- 
ous offer.  I  gladly  gave  my  consent,  and  he  left 
me  to  go  over  to  the  second  pasture  to  finish 
some  work  there,  saying  he  would  be  back  in  time 
for  supper.  When  it  got  to  be  ten  o'cleck  and  he 
didn't  come,  Walter  and  Tad  went  out  to  search 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  279 

for  Iiim,  and  they  haven't  come  back  yet.  You 
can  imagine  the  night  I've  spent,  all  alone  here," 
and  the  poor  woman  sank  down  on  the  doorstep, 
too  worn  out  to  say  more,  but  feeling  glad  that 
someone  was  there  to  think  for  her. 

"  I'll  go  and  hunt  for  him  at  once.  I'm  sure 
Tom's  all  right ;  at  the  worst  it's  only  a  sprained 
ankle,  or  something  of  that  sort,"  he  said  reas- 
suringly. 

"  But  think  of  my  poor  boy  lying  out  all  night 
with  a  broken  arm  or  leg ! "  sobbed  the  unhappy 
mother.     "Perhaps  he  is  dead.     Who  knows?" 

"  Now  you  just  go  in  and  get  some  nice  hot 
coffee  ready  for  him,  and  some  of  your  grand 
hot  cakes,"  urged  Jay,  bracing  himself  to  appear 
lighthearted  and  hopeful,  and  concealing  the  fear 
that  tugged  at  his  heart.  He  realized  that  the 
only  way  to  keep  up  the  courage  of  a  woman  like 
Mrs.  Mayberry  was  to  get  her  interested  in  doing 
something  for  somebody  else. 

"  I'll  take  a  drink  of  coffee  with  you,"  he 
added,  "  and  eat  something  if  you  will  do  so  too. 
We  must  keep  up  our  strength,  for  Tom  may 
need  it.  Then  I  will  go  and  search  for  him,  but  I 
have  little  doubt  he  is  on  his  way  home  this  very 
minute ;  and  by  the  time  you  are  ready  for  him  he 
will  be  here,  hungry  as  a  wolf.  Tom's  all  right. 
He  hasn't  an  enemy  in  the  world." 


280  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

Mrs.  Mayberry,  catching  his  hopeful  spirit, 
bustled  into  the  kitchen  and  ordered  the  fire  built 
at  once.  The  coffee  was  all  ready,  when  the  dull 
thud  of  horses'  feet  was  heard  outside,  and  the 
two  boys  were  seen  approaching  very  slowly, 
leading  between  them  a  third,  lying  prostrate 
upon  his  horse  and  securely  tied. 

"  He's  alive,  mother !  "  called  out  Walter  as  her 
anxious  face  appeared  at  the  window,  "  and  not 
badly  hurt,  either;  only  a  little  light-headed — 
aren't  you,  old  boy?  "  he  added  tenderly  as  Jay 
took  the  horse's  head  and  he  untied  the  heavy 
ropes  which  held  his  brother  upon  the  horse. 
Then  the  three  young  men  lifted  him  gently  and 
bore  him  into  the  house. 

"  Here's  some  nice  hot  coffee,  dear,"  said  the 
mother,  bending  over  him  and  longing  for  a  sign 
of  recognition. 

Tom  seized  the  cup,  and  drank  its  contents 
eagerly. 

"Where's  Marian?"  he  asked,  looking  round 
the  room.  "  She  said  she'd  be  here  to-day,  when  I 
saw  her  last  night.  If  she  doesn't  come,  I  don't 
want  to  live.  Mother's  married  again  and 
Walter's  gone  to  college  and  I'm  all  alone,  all 
alone.  If  she  doesn't  come  to-day,  I  may  as  well 
die." 

The  mother  went  quietly  to  work  making  prep- 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  281 

arations  for  his  comfort,  while  the  bojs  watched 
in  helpless  anxiety  Tom's  wild  eyes  and  the  bril- 
liant red  spot  on  each  cheek. 

All  day  long  he  raved  and  called  for  Marian, 
occasionally  threatening  to  kill  himself.  Two  of 
the  boys  stayed  with  him  constantly,  and  his 
mother  tried  in  every  way  to  allay  the  fever ;  but, 
although  there  seemed  to  be  no  real  injury,  he 
grew  worse  instead  of  better. 

"  To-morrow  morning  early  I  will  go  to  Xan- 
tus,  get  a  doctor  and  telegraph  to  Miss  Marian,'' 
said  Jay,  who  had  hardly  left  Tom's  side. 

"  If  we  could  only  get  Marian  we  wouldn't 
need  a  doctor,"  answered  Mrs.  Mayberry.  "  I 
am  convinced  that  the  longing  to  see  her  has 
turned  his  brain."  Then  she  added  slowly, 
"  Your  faith  in  her  keeps  up  my  own  belief.  She 
really  did  seem  to  care  for  him,  didn't  she?  " 

"  She  did  and  she  does,"  replied  Jay  confi- 
dently. "  She'll  come  back  here,  you  may  be 
sure." 

The  next  evening  Jay  arrived  at  Xantus  just 
in  time  to  see  the  train  pull  up  at  the  station. 
Knowing  that  he  could  not  send  his  telegram 
until  the  mail  arriving  on  that  train  had  been 
distributed,  and  all  the  freight  articles  attended 
to,  he  sat  impatiently  on  his  horse  watching  with 
little  interest  as  the  great  head-light  of  the  loco- 


282  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

motive  drew  nearer  and  nearer  from  the  murky 
distance.  The  heavy  engine  stopped,  with  a 
jangle  of  cars  knocking  together,  and  the  pas- 
sengers began  to  alight.  The  mail-bag  was 
thrown  out,  then  came  the  trunks  and  the  freight 
boxes. 

As  Jay  had  seen  the  little  bright  spot  of  light 
appear  in  the  far  distance  he  had  only  felt  an- 
noyed that  the  approaching  train  would  delay  his 
message.  He  meant  to  return  to  the  ranch  as 
soon  as  his  errand  was  over,  without  even  taking 
an  hour's  sleep,  tired  as  he  was.  He  gave  a  little 
shiver  as  the  first  cold  Norther  of  the  fall  swept 
over  the  plain,  but  thought  of  it  as  an  added  help 
to  getting  back  quickly. 

As  he  sat  there,  however,  watching  the  pas- 
sengers in  the  dim  light,  a  sudden  fancy  came  to 
his  mind  that  perhaps  Marian  was  among  them. 
It  filled  him  with  a  strange  exultation. 

"  I  will  imagine  it,  anyway,"  he  said  to  himself 
as  he  straightened  up  in  the  saddle.  "  It  will 
make  the  time  pass  more  quickly." 

The  engine  snorted  and  puffed,  then  rolled 
into  the  engine  house,  while  his  horse  capered 
about  in  true  bronco  fashion.  As  soon  as  he  had 
quieted  the  animal  he  again  bent  forward, 
eagerly  scanning  the  passengers. 

"  There  is  sure  enough  a  lady  coming,"  and  he 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  283 

laughed  almost  hysterically  as  he  saw  a  tall, 
square-shouldered  girl  in  a  blue  tailor-made  suit, 
who  was  being  assisted  by  the  conductor,  the 
brakeman  and  two  male  passengers.  The  girl 
seemed  slighter  than  Marian,  but  her  face  was 
hidden  by  the  large  blue  felt  hat  she  wore. 

Jay  waited  breathlessly  for  her  to  lift  her 
head.  When  she  did  so,  he  found  it  was  indeed 
Marian. 

"  Why,  Jay !  "  she  cried  joyously.  "  How  did 
you  happen  to  come?  Oh,  how  glad  I  am  to  see 
you ! " 

As  she  rushed  forward.  Jay  sprang  to  the 
ground  and  seized  both  her  extended  hands. 

"Where  is  Tom?''  she  said,  wistfully  looking 
round.  "Isn't  he  with  you?"  Her  face  fell  as 
he  shook  his  head  unable  to  answer  her  for  the 
moment.  "  I  just  had  to  come,"  she  continued, 
shaken  out  of  her  usual  reserve.  "  It  was  just 
as  Tom  said;  no  other  place  can  ever  seem  like 
home  to  me  again." 

"  Dear  girl,"  said  Jay  finding  his  voice  at  last, 
"  you  have  saved  his  life  by  coming  just  now ;  he 
is  at  home.  He  had  a  bad  fall  from  his  horse, 
was  out  in  the  field  all  night,  and  is  delirious. 
He  calls  for  you  continually.  He  is  not  seriously 
hurt,  I  assure  you,"  he  added  as  he  noticed  her 
anxious  face,  out  of  which  the  light  had  faded. 


284  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

"  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it,  and  everything  else 
as  we  ride  along." 

"  Can't  we  go  to-night? "  broke  in  Marian 
excitedly.  "  I'm  not  a  bit  tired,  and  couldn't 
sleep  anyway.'^ 

"  If  you  think  you  could  stand  it — ''  he  said 
doubtfully. 

"  I  know  I  can.  I'll  rest  when  I  get  there," 
she  urged. 

"  Very  well.  Get  up  behind  me  and  I  will 
leave  you  at  the  hotel  for  a  bite  to  eat,  while  I  go 
to  the  stable  for  two  fast  horses." 

"  It  is  a  very  different  man.  Miss  Marian,"  he 
added  as  he  helped  her  into  the  saddle,  "  who 
gives  you  this  invitation  from  the  one  who  gave 
it  first  over  a  year  ago." 

"  Much  has  happened  in  one  short  year  to 
change  us  all,"  she  answered  as  she  timidly  stole 
one  arm  around  Jay  for  support. 

On  their  homeward  journey  Tom's  story  was 
quickly  told  and  then  Jay  gave  her  the  rest  of  the 
news. 

"  Your  Uncle  Dan  is  going  to  send  Walter  to 
college,"  he  said.    "  He's  always  wanted  to  go." 

"  That's  good !  "  she  answered.  "  And  how  are 
all  the  other  boys?  " 

"  All  well  and  all  working  on  the  ranch  as 
usual.     Gus  is  so  dignified  you'll  hardly  know 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  285 

him.  He  runs  the  ranch  a  heap  better'n  Boss 
ever  did.  Hugh  has  found  a  girl  at  last — bless 
the  dear  boy !  Tad,  Doc  and  Sid  are  growing  to 
be  a  credit  to  us.  Harry  has  changed  most.  His 
trouble  has  made  a  man  of  him.  He's  very  quiet, 
but  will  come  out  all  right  in  time." 

"And  Wild  Bill? '^ 

"  Bill  was  waiting  outside  the  night  Joe  and 
Bess  died.'' 

Jay  was  silent  for  a  moment,  then  said  gravely, 
"  Neither  Bill  nor  Joe  had  planned  that  Joe 
should  die.  Joe  meant  to  kill  Bess,  then  get 
their  treasures  w^hich  were  hidden  in  the  old 
Viles'  house,  and  go  with  it  all  to  South  America. 
Bill  told  me  about  it  afterwards.  He  had 
planned  it  all,  but  Joe, — "  and  his  voice  choked. 

"  Why  was  Bill  so  bent  on  killing  Bess? " 
asked  Marian  after  a  little. 

"  For  two  reasons.  First,  they  hated  each 
other.  Bess  felt  that  Bill  was  Joe's  worst  influ- 
ence. She  knew,  too,  that  Bill  would  report  to 
Joe  all  her  little  peccadilloes,  frivolities,  and 
flirtations.  Then  Bill  was  jealous  of  anyone  who 
shared  the  love  of  his  idol,  for,  bad  as  Bill  was, 
he  loved  Joe  wuth  a  love  that  amounted  to  idol- 
atry." 

"  He  always  reminded  me  of  Hagan  in  the 
^  Niebelungen   Ring,'"   said  Marian   pensively; 


286  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

and,  looking  at  her  with  a  puzzled  expression, 
Jay  went  on, 

"  Then  Bill  had  other  reasons  for  wanting  Bess 
out  of  the  way.  He  was  suspected  of  various 
crimes,  but  no  one  could  ever  get  proof  against 
him.  Bess  was  the  only  one  living,  except  Joe, 
of  course,  who  had  ever  really  seen  Bill  kill  a 
man.  The  poor  girl  had  once  been  a  witness  of  a 
crime  in  which  her  husband  and  Bill  both  took 
a  hand,  and  this  knowledge  she  held  over  BilPs 
head.'' 

"  Do  you  think  he  murdered  the  sheriff  who 
went  with  him  to  find  Joe?  " 

"  Well,  it  was  either  Bill  or  Sin  Killer  Jones ; 
but  I'm  dead  sure  he  shot  Jack  Packer,  and  it 
was  his  influence  that  egged  Joe  on  to  kill  Bess, 
by  working  on  his  jealousy.  After  Joe  had 
really  killed  Bess  he  probably  felt  so  badly  that 
he  just  turned  and  shot  himself  to  end  it  all ;  and 
when  Bill  discovered  that  he  was  dead, — and  it 
didn't  take  him  long — he  just  galloped  off.  As 
he  told  me  afterward,  he  only  wanted  to  live  long 
enough  to  kill  Jones,  and  he  knew  just  where  to 
find  him.  He  was  there  at  the  Viles'  house  just 
as  Bill  expected,  toting  off  Joe's  treasure,  all  by 
himself.  Bill  shot  him  and  left  him  there,  then 
brought  all  the  money  up  to  me.  He  got  there 
one  dark  night,  and  oh,  how  the  poor  fellow 


(^t^■^" 


Wild  Bill. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  287 

looked!  He  was  simply  exhausted,  almost 
starved,  and  just  grieving  himself  to  death.  The 
devil  himself  couldn't  help  pitying  him.  He 
said,  '  You'll  find  me  dead  at  the  Viles'  house 
where  Joe'n  I've  been  together  so  many  times. 
To-morrow  morning.  Boss!  And  for  the  love  of 
'God,  bury  me  beside  Joe.'  It  was  in  vain  I  tried 
to  keep  him  with  me.  He  wouldn't  eat  a  mouth- 
ful, nor  stop  to  rest.  He  wouldn't  even  shake  my 
hand, — for  I  couldn't  help  offering  it,  I  pitied 
him  so — but  just  walked  off  in  the  darkness,  all 
bent  over  like  an  old  man,  his  long  hair  hanging 
over  his  face  as  if  it  were  a  wild  animal's.  I 
found  him  dead  the  next  morning,  though  there 
was  no  mark  on  him.  His  eyes  were  staring  up- 
ward, and  I  closed  them,  and  then  Harry  and  I 
just  put  him  in  a  pine  box  and  buried  him  in  the 
little  graveyard  by  the  side  of  Joe.  We  both 
cried  over  him  and  begged  the  Lord  to  forgive 
him — and  us." 

There  was  a  long  silence,  then  Jay  added,  "  I 
didn't  know  what  to  do  with  the  money.  I 
wouldn't  have  kept  it  myself  for  the  world.  I 
have  been  suspected,  perhaps,  of  being  in  league 
with  the  outlaws,  but  God  knows  the  only  thing 
I  ever  did  was  to  shelter  my  brother  at  times,  and 
help  him  to  escape.  Who  wouldn't  have  done 
that?    Finally,  I  hit  upon  a  plan.    I  remembered 


288  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

how  Joe  always  loved  old  Brother  Butler,  how 
poor  the  man  was,  how  he  had  labored  with  us  all 
and  gone  without  everything  for  the  sake  of 
others,  and  I  thought  I'd  take  the  money  to  him 
as  a  present,  not  telling  him  where  it  came  from ; 
and  I  did.  He  seemed  to  suspect,  however,  and 
he  wormed  it  all  out  of  me.  Then  he  and  I 
worked  like  beavers,  advertising  and  hunting  up 
the  rightful  owners.  They  bobbed  up  from  all 
directions  you  may  be  sure,  some  real  and  some 
imposters.  We  did  the  best  we  could  to  sift  their 
claims,  and  we  soon  got  rid  of  the  money.  Good 
old  Butler  w^ouldn't  take  a  cent,  even  to  pay  him 
for  his  time  and  trouble,  so  he  was  really  poorer 
than  ever." 

"  He  is  truly  a  good  man,"  said  Marian,  "  I'm 
sorry  I  ever  called  him  narrow." 

"  We're  sort  of  looking  after  him  now,"  w^ent 
on  Jay.  ''  You  can't  keep  him  from  working,  but 
we  give  him  all  he  can  eat,  and  he's  getting  a 
little  more  flesh  on  his  bones." 

"  Who's  the  new  sheriff?  " 

"  You'd  never  guess." 

"Is  it  Hyslop?" 

"  Oh,  no !  He's  up  for  governor  and  sure  to  be 
elected.  We're  hand  in  glove  with  the  celebrities. 
He'll  sure  come  to  your  wedding.    He  says  you're 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  289 

the  bravest  girl  he  ever  knew.  I  saw  him  in 
Athens  a  week  or  two  ago." 

"  Did  you  see  Aunt  Kate?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  She  asked  for  you.  So  did  the 
college  president,  and  a  dozen  others.'' 

"  Well,  but  you  didn't  tell  me  the  name  of  the 
new  sheriff." 

Jay  chuckled.    "  Giles  Jakes,"  he  finally  said. 

"  What !  "  gasped  Marian.  "  The  only  one  left 
of  the  gang!  The  man  who  got  third  prize  in  the 
roping!  The  man  who  escaped  the  night  they 
captured — "  Marian  paused.  Jay  answered  sadly. 

"  Yes !  He  was  the  only  one  left  of  the  gang. 
He'd  learned  his  lesson,  and  wasn't  a  bad  sort 
after  the  others  were  gone.  Then  there  was  no 
one  else  just  then  willing  to  take  the  job.  It  was 
like  a  through  ticket  to  the  next  world.  They 
reasoned  that  Jakes  was  a  smart  fellow,  that  it 
takes  a  thief  to  catch  a  thief,  and  would  be  just 
the  man  for  'em.  He  was  in  prison  at  the  time, 
so  they  just  pardoned  him  out  and  handed  over 
the  keys  of  the  jail  to  him." 

A  long  pause  followed,  in  which  both  were 
busy  with  their  own  thoughts.  Then  Jay  said 
roguishly,  "What  have  you  done  with  Oster- 
handt? " 

"  Oh,  I  left  him  in  New  York  under  the  care 
19 


290  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

of  my  dearest  girl  friend.  You  know  he  is  prac- 
tising law  in  Father's  office." 

"No!    Is  he?" 

"  Yes !    Father  quite  admires  him." 

Jay  looked  at  her  quizzically. 

"  Why  wouldn't  it  have  been  better  for  you  to 
have  accepted  him?  He's  more  what  you  have 
been  used  to." 

Marian  tilted  her  chin  saucily.  "Why  don't 
we  all  do  as  other  people  think  best  for  us?  But 
Mr.  Osterhandt  is  interested  in  another  quarter. 
He  told  me  just  before  I  left  New  York  that  he 
liked  the  independent  ways  of  the  New  York 
women,  and  that  he  was  quite  willing  to  let  his 
wife  manage  him." 

"  Well,  he  has  changed  his  views  some,"  Jay 
commented,  with  a  chuckle ;  then  he  asked,  "  has 
he  found  someone  who  is  willing  to  do  it?  " 

"  Yes  willing  and  quite  capable." 

"  Poor  Charles,  I'm  glad,  after  all,  I  didn't  go 
to  New  York.  I  might  have  gotten  into  some 
such  net,  as  it  is — "  and  Jay  paused. 

"  I  believe  you  are  engaged !  "  cried  Marian 
with  a  woman's  ready  intuition. 

"  Yes,  and  to  a  girl  who  is  willing  to  obey  me 
in  everything." 

"  Just  as  I  am  willing  to  obey  Tom,"  Marian 
interpolated  sentimentally. 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  291 

"  These  people  in  love  can't  think  of  anyone 
but  themselves,''  Jay  cogitated  discontentedly; 
but  he  brightened  up  when  Marian,  changing  the 
subject,  questioned  him  about  his  own  affairs. 

"Do  I  know  the  girl?" 

"  Yes." 

"  It  is  your  cousin  Hetty." 

"  How  did  you  guess?  " 

"  I  saw  that  she  was  very  fond  of  you,  and  love 
begets  love,  you  know." 

"  I  thought  if  I  couldn't  get  the  girl  I  loved, 
I'd  be  happy  with  one  who  loved  me.  And  I 
mean  to  make  her  happy,  too." 

"  You  love  her  too,  don't  you?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do. — But,  Marian,  w^hy  didn't 
you  answ^er  Tom's  letter?" 

Jay  felt  rather  than  saw  Marian's  gaze • 

"  So  he  did  write  to  me !  "  she  returned  after  a 
moment's  pause — "  I  never  received  any  letter 
from  him,  and  I  w^as  almost  wild!  The  box  of 
Algerita  blossoms  was  the  finishing  touch.  I 
could  not  WTite  and  thank  him,  for  I  could  not 
wait  for  his  answer,  I  had  a  horrible  presenti- 
ment that  I  was  about  to  lose  him, — not  through 
his  lack  of  faith,  but  through  some  calamity — 
perhaps  death — I  told  Father  that  I  must  and 
should  leave  at  once — and  he  was  so  worried 


292  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

about  my  state  of  mind  that  he  packed  me  off 
on  the  next  train. 

"  He  couldn't  get  anyone  to  go  with  me,  so  he 
told  the  porters  and  conductor  to  have  an  eye  on 
me " 

"  I  knew  it !  and  I  told  Tom  so !  "  Jay  mut- 
tered. 

Early  the  next  day  Mrs.  Mayberry  sat  alone  in 
her  little  parlor,  looking  sadly  out  at  the  window. 
Tom  was  asleep  at  last,  and  the  fever  had  abated. 
She  was  straining  her  eyes  for  a  sight  of  Jay  re- 
turning with  the  doctor. 

"  They've  come,  and  right  on  time,"  she  cried 
rising  hastily  as  she  saw  the  two  approaching 
on  horseback.  She  went  quickly  to  the  door  to 
meet  them.  To  her  surprise  she  saw  as  they  drew 
nearer,  that  one  of  them  was  a  woman.  "  Can 
it  possibly  be  Marian?"  she  asked  herself.  Yes, 
it  really  was,  and  she  came  forward  to  greet  her 
with  a  heart  full  of  joy. 

The  two  women  embraced  each  other  with 
tears  and  kisses  and  Jay  felt  his  own  eyes  fill  in 
sympathy. 

"How  is  Tom?"  he  asked  anxiously. 

"  He  is  asleep  and  his  fever  has  left.  You  have 
brought  the  right  doctor  and  he  will  get  well 
immediately.  Come  right  in — but  wait  in  the 
hall  till  I  see  if  he  is  awake." 


A  COWBOY  CAVALIER.  293 

She  opened  the  door  softly,  then  turned  and 
beckoned  to  them  with  a  smile.  Tom  had  been 
awakened  by  the  noise  of  their  arrival  and  was 
sitting  up  in  bed  eagerly  watching  the  door. 
Marian  went  straight  to  him,  and  put  her  vigor- 
ous young  arms  about  him,  pressing  his  head 
against  her  breast  with  a  tender  movement. 

"  Come,  Jay,  and  help  me  bring  in  the  break- 
fast," said  Mrs.  Mayberry,  "you-all  must  be 
hungry  after  riding  all  night,''  and  she  shut  the 
door  gently  upon  the  lovers. 

"  What  a  glorious  old  world  this  is,"  cried  Jay 
as  he  bore  in  the  steaming  coffee-pot. 

"  They  say  folks  in  love  are  never  hungry,  but 
I'm  a  living  example  to  the  contrary " 

"  So  you  are  really  in  love ! "  Marian  queried, 
regarding  him  quizzically — perhaps  a  very  little 
piqued,  for  Marian  was  but  human. 

^^  Indeed  I  am,"  Jay  answered  simply,  and 
blushing  very  red;  Marian  smiled  at  him  well- 
pleased,  and  then  hid  her  head  on  Tom's  shoulder, 
as  he  drew  her  very  close  to  him. 

Mrs.  Mayberry  looked  from  one  to  another 
with  perfect  content,  and  Walter  gazed  upon  the 
scene  with  an  expression  of  beatitude. 

"  I  believe  if  it  hadn't  been  for  Jay  I  wouldn't 
have  kept  up  my  courage  to  live  till  you  got 


294  A  COWBOY  CAVALIER. 

here/' — Tom  began, — but  Jay  protested  vehe- 
mently. 

"  If  you  think  you  had  a  hard  time  winning 
me,  Tom,"  said  Marian  in  a  muffled  voice,  "  now 
that  you  have  me,  you  shall  never  have  a  mo- 
ment's trouble  that  I  can  ever  prevent.  I  mean 
to  be  your  companion  and  your  help-mate  in  the 
best  sense  of  the  word." 

Tom's  eyes  filled  with  tears.  He  could  not 
speak.  He  felt  almost  afraid  in  the  presence  of 
his  great  happiness.  But  he  felt  the  strength  to 
meet  all  its  responsibilities,  the  determination 
to  do  all  his  duty  and  more  for  her  sake,  and  in 
gratitude  to  Him  who  had  given  him  this  great 
love. 

As  he  drew  her  more  closely  to  him,  Marian 
knew  all  that  he  wished  to  say. 

The  silence  was  broken  at  last  by  Jay  who  ex- 
claimed in  the  extravagant  language  of  his  rich 
southern  nature, 

"  I  wish  we  could  all  live  a  million  years,  just 
as  things  are  now !  " 


THE  END. 


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